Tiny robin flies 2,200km from Russia to Malta

sandro pace

Nov 29th 2009, 00:50

What ulterior motives? If it was not for this article and the beautiful photo, I would have never known about such a feat. Inevitably in such cases, the hunting issue crops up, with some viewing such articles with suspicion or even a threat to what they stand for. Whatever the case, there is no reason why such news and information from nature should be denied to the readers, and to those who enjoy it.

The last time a bird photo was displayed on this site, the chest was also red, but the eyes were closed. It was not in a good state.

Joseph Borg

Nov 28th 2009, 23:13

trid tkun injorant bix tispara fuq gmiel t'ghasfur bhal dan.

well done Bird Life

V Falzon

Nov 28th 2009, 22:06

@ M Cardona: "The doubt arises when this feat becomes someone's means to ulterior ends!"

My, my, what classic persecution mania! So now when BirdLife simply extols the beauty of migration, to you gun-oriented people this HAS to be another nefarious plan against hunting.

Having said that, if praising the wonder of live and free-flying birds automatically puts bird killers in a bad light, I kind of see a connection there too! I wonder what it is...

V Falzon

Nov 28th 2009, 20:12

@ Ramon Casha "Robins are now quite safe in Malta"

Indeed robins are much safer today than they were 20 years ago, but we are not out of the woods yet. Although illegal for many years, we still spot youths using trabokki to trap robins in valleys, fields, unbuilt plots, even from their own garden or roof. Old habits die hard, which is why BirdLife has never stopped campaigning in schools (every year since the mid-1980s) against robin trapping. As a result, the habit has been drastically reduced but unfortunately not totally killed.

M. Cardona

Nov 28th 2009, 19:03

@J Scerri

your argument is to say the least inconsistent. First you make insinuations and say, "that by coming to malta, this will be a one way ticket to the moon." Once your argument was exposed for its crass stupidity, you then claim "ma tisparawx fuq il-pitirrossi, ghax zghar wisq biex timmiraw fuqhom." ie robins are not shot becuase they are too small to be aimed at.

Bird migration is a great feat of nature there is no doubt about that. The doubt arises when this feat becomes someone's means to ulterior ends!

Andrew Gatt

Nov 28th 2009, 18:05

@ J Scerri................grazzi tal-links; kollha kont rajthom u mijiet ohra bhalhom. Il-bicca l-kbira grazzi ghal-Birdlife u l-CABS, l-esperti biex ixandru u jezageraw u jinsinwaw. Ghaldaqshekk ma jimpressjonawni xejn. Skoprejtu l-Amerika ghax ghadha tezisti l-kacca illegali Malta? Mela ma tezistix u jien l-ewwel wiehed li nammetti. Nghid ukoll li naqset immens u nawgura li tinqata ghal kollox.

Imma Il-hmerijiet inhallihom f'idejkhom ghax intkhom biss l-ESPERTI!!! : li ahna noqtlu kull ghasfur li hemm; li Malta fuq xi rotta migratorja tal-eghgubijiet u l-milljuni (naturalment, noqtluhom kollha); li gamiem u summien fadal xi erba biss; li l-harifa hi xi sostitut ghar-rebbieha; li Malta ser tintela bejtiet; li ha nehlu xi multi; li il-kacca fir-rebbiegha illegali, ecc ecc..

Kulma nara hafna mibeghda u fissazzjoni kontra kull tip ta'kacca - iktar kontra l-kaccaturi milli fuq l-ghasafar!

U xeba ross bil-labra.

Ramon Casha

Nov 28th 2009, 17:18

@Joseph Lia: It might not have been non-stop, but YOU try to travel 1,110 kilometers in 27 days, or 2200 km in 42 days and you'll appreciate that it's no mean feat by any standard.

@J Scerri: Robins are now quite safe in Malta. The "trabokk" trap which was used mostly to catch robins has been illegal for years now, and I don't think anyone hunts them.

J. Scerri

Nov 28th 2009, 15:02

@ Andrew Gatt :

Skond kif ktibt int, jidher li int xi ESPERT kbir u ma tghidx HMERIIJIET. Mela pprova illuminana daqsxejn fuq il-kazijiet li hawn f'dawn il-links (fl'ahhar tal-pagna) u spjegalna ftit x'gara. Hemm artiklu minn kull sit biex ma tghidx li hemm xi sit li qed jghid il-HMERIJIET.

Ha nghidlek jien ghaliex ma tisparawx fuq il-pitirrossi, ghax zghar wisq biex timmiraw fuqhom. Ara biex tispara lill xi Flamingo jew simili tieghu (kif diga gara), iktar facli. Mhux ahjar thallina bi kwietna u toqghod tarha dawn il-links u forsi tinduna minn qed jghid il-hmerijiet bejnietna !! :

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080409/local/419-shot-protected-birds-reported-last-year

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/mole-survey790.html#cr

http://www.care2.com/news/member/276185222/1153220

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=91989

Andrew Gatt

Nov 28th 2009, 11:31

@ J Scerri..........tghidx HMERIJIET. Nobody shoots robins in Malta. Kemm tifhem, allajbierek!

Joe Xuereb

Nov 27th 2009, 01:05

As an atheist, and a staunch supporter of life, I was overjoyed at this little natural 'miracle' - hate the word. How very bright for whoever it was that decided to throw a wet blanket over this little wonder by saying the flight from wherever was not direct, not non-stop. Well, blow me, I AM disappointed.

r sammut

Nov 26th 2009, 19:55

It has been known for ages that robins travel great distances and they have been known to return to particular spots year in year out. They are here in Malta from around the beginning of October till almost the beginning of May. Robins display their dominance by singing from vantage points over their territory, chasing off intruding mates.

It seems that BirdLife is trying re-inventing the wheel, grabbing at every opportunity to fan feathers!

J. Scerri

Nov 26th 2009, 19:26

Poor Bird, I think that by coming to malta, this will be a one way ticket to the moon. Should had known about all the illegal hunting here, he (and I call him HE because I treat all creatures the same, humans or animals) would have opted to go to Islamabad instead, the risk was of the same proportions or even less !!

joseph lia

Nov 26th 2009, 18:08

The mentioned robin arrived from Northern Europe, like thousands others (not millions) but this 13 gram bird did not make the journey non-stop, as the article is trying to imply. This particular type of bird, related to the thrush family, flies from one destination to another in calculated stop-over flights, when it finds a suitable habitat it then over-winters, as indicated by the the time of first ringing and data. Insects and butterflies do the same! we never see such publicity for these creatures! The TOM readers should not panic, these birds visit our islands annually as they have done for generations, so much for Malta being devoid of birds, as is always drummed ad nauseum, I wonder why the sudden bird-ringing publicity...............hmmmmm. One other thing, these robins are safe on our islands, not the same may be said for them elsewhere! Makes one wonder.........

David Grech

Nov 26th 2009, 16:59

@ Carmel Callus

They probably used mist nets of some sort, not a trabokk...it is a form of 'trapping' but BLM ringers are licensed to do so for ringing purposes. I don't know why you're comparing this to illegal trapping though...

P. Abela

Nov 26th 2009, 16:35

Irrespective of what method was used to catch this robbin, do BLM appreciate the ordeal the poor birds go through when they are caught, and during the time they are being handled for inspection by the 'gentle hands' of their captors? I will leave this to the immagination of readers. I know what I am talking about...

Muscat. Pat

Nov 26th 2009, 16:10

Thank you Bird Life for giving us news onthe wonders of nature.

Carmen V Gauci

Nov 26th 2009, 15:49

Dear Mr Callus - must admit that the same thoughts crossed m mind....but instead of blurting a comment straight on the times (at the expense of sounding uninformed and rather thick) i did some research (internet - it is simply great !!) and found out that bird ringers (locally licensed by MEPA and Police) have the right to use mist nets to be able to study such birds.....the most important conclusion, mentioned also in the pr, is that the birds are released straight away !

A.Vella

Nov 26th 2009, 15:46

@carmel callus

What a senseless comment of yours they are caught with Mist nets and data is taken and the bird will be free in seconds unlike you trappers which catch finches with clap nets which it could kill the bird sometimes and much worse they will face a life imprisonment in a small cages and then you all say you care for them and if one dies from your cages you all fall in a depression

All birds should be free from depressed cowards who call it tradition!! Great work BLM keep it up!!

Vincent Galea

Nov 26th 2009, 15:15

When John Alcock and Arthur Brown flew from Newfoundland to Ireland in 1919 the first non-stop transatlantic flying they became instant heroes.
Their remarkable achievement was recognized and praised throughout the world ( they were both knighted five days after they landed.) All the more so because they ended their historic flight only 10 miles off course.
The had a compass, an air speed indicator, a drift indicator, a clock, charts and what not.
The robin with millions of other birds does the same, and much more, year in year out.
That they possess navigational skills is beyond doubt.... that no one except the Designer understands.

carmel callus

Nov 26th 2009, 14:25

I am not a hunter or a bord trapper and do not want to be understood to be defending them. What I'd like BLM to tell us is how they got hold of that robbin: was it traspped by them? And if was trapped by them, did they use the illegal trap known as 'trabokkin'? Or are they the only ones who have the right to catch birds! I am sure this robbin did not fly sraight into the BLM offices to show them that is a ringed bird!

Tony Aquilina

Nov 26th 2009, 13:41

I remember the successful campaign done very well by MOS at the time to eradictate the illegal trapping of robins with the "trabokki". Thanks to it (BLM) that bad habit is long gone and today we can enjoy these birds even more. Great work and very interesting info.

Joe Micallef

Nov 26th 2009, 13:10

Poor bird if he knew he would never come to Malta because most probably it,s his last flight

N.Falzon

Nov 26th 2009, 12:58

.....an intelligent person appreciates the god given creatures in their environment not in a wardrobe!!!!

nice article

David Borg Cardona

Nov 26th 2009, 12:47

@ Pawlu Agius...

Tezagerax.... comments like yours show that you lot of biased anti's are running short of ammuniton !!! Soon you'll be saying that we blast robins out of the sky too.. U hallina.. Respect our intelligence will you...

roderick agius

Nov 26th 2009, 12:31

@Joe Camilleri
Trapping of finches is now illegal in Malta and therefore there is no need to compare it with robins ;)

Mario Delicata

Nov 26th 2009, 12:26

Wow! Great work BLM. Please inform us of these records as they are truly amazing! At last some good news regarding birds from Malta.

Pawlu Agius

Nov 26th 2009, 12:25

He will not travel much further ... now that he had arrived in Malta!

jane camilleri haber

Nov 26th 2009, 12:14

what an extraordinary feat for such a fragile beauty! I have a special attachment to these tiny beauties. first because I consider them to be such a wonder esthetically, secondly because for me they herald winter and the christmas season in particular. thank God for His imagination

Joe Camilleri

Nov 26th 2009, 12:04

Let us see from the comments that would follow, how many people are going to purposely confuse the trapping of finches, which is legally practiced in most of EU countries, with robins.

As a side note, is BLM going to take to court its own people for ringing these birds as it did with the FKNK council officers http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091118/local/fknk-council-officers-acquitted