A Black-winged Stilt (Fras-servjent) with an Italian ring was seen at Ramla l-Hamra Bay in Gozo last week, 16 years since the same bird was ringed and last seen.
BirdLife said that according to data from the Italian Ringing Centre the stilt was ringed on June 10, 2000 as a pullus or a young chick not yet able to fly. The bird was ringed at the salt pans in Cervia, along the Adriatic coast (Salina Di Cervia, Ravenna).
BirdLife said the bird appeared to be healthy and it was making its return journey northward to breed.
Black-winged Stilts are common spring migrants in Malta, often migrating in small to large flocks. Since 2011 they have also bred at Għadira nature reserve.