Two rare birds have been spotted in Malta - one by an activists' group and the other, ironically, reported by a hunters' organisation.

The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said it had recorded the first-ever official record of a black-winged kite for the Maltese islands. 

The rare bird was sighted by a CABS team yesterday afternoon close to the Verdala Palace in Buskett just six hours after the end of the spring hunting season. 

The German activists followed the bird for half an hour but then lost visual contact after the kite flew off in the direction of Siggiewi. Before it disappeared the birdwatchers managed to film the bird for a few seconds. 

CABS said that the observation has been reported to the Maltese Rarities Committee for birds.

The black-winged kite, the size of a small falcon, is a species primarily of open land and semi-deserts in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia. In Europe, the bird breeds only in Spain, Portugal and South-west France.

Meanwhile, the Kaccaturi San Ubertu said a member had sighted and photographed a rare bird - the pale-throated black-eared wheatear.

Although it is a common migrant in spring and autumn, the pale-throated race is a scarce migrant since it is seen mainly Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with some records in France. It has been scarcely recorded in the past in Malta.

KSU encouraged its members to keep an eye on all migrating birds and report any unusual sightings.

The black-eared wheatear. Photo: Bernard Farrugia