A flamingo flew into Salina this afternoon and was wading in the salt pans in the evening, under the watchful eye of the police from the Administrative Law Enforcement section, and BirdLife.

BirdLife officials said they intended to keep watch for as long as possible.

BirdLife said flamingos are uncommon visitors to Malta, with less than 10 seen each year on migration, some of which decide to stay overnight. The Salina salt pans are a bird sanctuary, and flamingos have taken refuge in the past.

The last time flamingos were seen flying into Malta was in January at Ghadira Nature Reserve. They reportedly disappeared after a break-in at the reserve, although hunters claimed they had flown out.