Migratory birds herald start of autumn migration

A flock of white storks and the first migratory raptors have heralded the start of the autumn migration season.

“Europe’s birds have once again started to leave their breeding grounds ahead of the winter months, moving towards their African wintering grounds.

As an island on the central migratory route, Malta is an important stepping stone for many birds as they cross over the Mediterranean,” BirdLife said yesterday.

These include large numbers of birds of prey, whose migration peaks between September and early October when large numbers arrive in Malta in the late afternoon, flying low in search of roost sites to spend the night. Migration also coincides with the start of the autumn hunting season, which runs for five months from the September 1 to January 31 for 32 species of wild migratory birds.

Between September 15 and 30, hunting may not take place after 3 p.m. to protect the migrating raptors.