We often read negative press about birds being shot down or trapped every year. Admittedly, this is justified as birds are dwindling at an alarming rate, which is why most species are today protected by law.

Welcome news is that a particular species is thriving on our island. The white wagtail (zakak abjad) is the most common bird from its species found during winter on our islands.

White wagtails start appearing in October and most of them remain here until the end of March.

In Malta, most of the these birds congregate at night among the trees of Great Siege Square in Valletta, right in front of the law courts.

Some of these birds cross over from Gozo to sleep at this particular place and fly back to the sister island the following morning.

Birdlife Malta makes a count of this roost every year, and this year’s count, conducted on Saturday, was a record, with over 10,500 white wagtails flying in to roost in the capital.

Birdlife has been carrying out roost counts at this site since 1986 and the wintering population appears to be increasing steadily.

To appreciate this elegant species, next time you’re in Valletta, head to Great Siege Square just before sunset and watch the birds as they flock into the trees

One of the contributing factors to this positive trend is surely the tree management exercise in front of the law courts, a jointinitiative between Birdlife and the Valletta local council. These ficus trees are crucial for homing these birds in the cold winter nights.

A white wagtail at the Għadira Nature Reserve. Photo: Ray Galea

The white wagtail is an insect eater and is considered beneficial to the agricultural landscape where it spends most of its day foraging for food.

The most conspicuous habit of this species is a near-constant tail wagging. It is this trait that has given the species its common name.

The bird is found all around Europe, Asia and Africa. It is usually seen alone, while other birds may be a short distance away, but rests with other wagtails in communal roosts. It does so because the large number of birds resting together increases the temperature of their surroundings.

To appreciate this elegant species, next time you’re in Valletta, head to Great Siege Square just before sunset and watch the birds as they flock into the trees.

Facts about the white wagtail

• The white wagtail is the national bird of Latvia.

• It has distinctive black and white plumage, a loud tsli-vitt call and a characteristic habit of constantly bobbing the tail, hence the common name ‘wagtail’.

• It is also known as pied wagtail.

• The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near habitation and water.

• The call of this bird is ‘chuchun-chuchun’.

• The white wagtail was originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work Systema Naturae and it still bears its original name of Motacilla alba.

• The Latin genus name originally meant ‘little mover’, but certain medieval writers thought it meant ‘wag-tail’, giving rise to a new Latin word, cilla, for ‘tail’. The species name, alba, is Latin for ‘white’.

• Willy wagtail was a colloquial name used on the Isle of Man, replacing the older name of ushag vreck.