A record-breaking number of breeding black-winged stilts has been recorded at the Għadira Nature Reserve since the first signs of courtship behaviour and nest building were observed in 2008, Birdlife said.

This year, the reserve saw three pairs of black-winged stilts breed successfully, each producing four chicks. This has been the highest number of successfully breeding pairs of this distinctive black-and-white wader at the reserve.

Adult black-winged stilts. Photo: Aron Tanti, Birdlife

Moreover, two of the black-winged stilts nesting at Għadira were themselves hatched and fledged at the reserve in 2013. They returned to the same place to raise their own chicks.

This could be confirmed through scientific bird-ringing which Birdlife regularly carried out.

One of the stilts, a male, was at the reserve in 2014 and fathered the first pair. The other bird ringed in 2013 was present this year and gave birth to the second pair.

Black-winged stilts also nested successfully at the Simar reserve a couple of years ago.

Another species breaking breeding records at Għadira was the common starling, with up to five adults observed foraging and roosting.

Birdlife said it could only confirm the breeding success of this bird a few days ago when a juvenile bird was seen accompanying the adults. This indicated that the starling bred for the first time in close proximity to the reserve.

Three to four pairs of little ringed plovers had up to four chicks each and were now again sitting on their second brood of eggs.