Hunters are installing 400 nesting boxes in schools, public gardens and bird sanctuaries around Malta and Gozo to encourage bird species breeding on the islands.

Kaċċaturi San Ubertu (KSU) announced on Tuesday that the boxes had already led to the first ever successful breedings of spotted flycatchers żanżarell tat-tikki, with four fledglings recorded in the man-made nests just weeks after they were installed.

The Bejta (nest) project is targeting several other species known to breed in Malta, including the swift, pallid swift, Spanish sparrow, tree sparrow, swallow, house martin, grey wagtail, starling, common kestrel and peregrine falcon.

Some of these species, such as the Spanish sparrow, are common breeders while others like the kestrel and peregrine falcon breed only in small numbers.

The project is funded by the Environment Ministry through the Wild Birds Conservation Fund and run in collaboration with ornithologist Natalino Fenech, with the maintenance and monitoring of the nesting boxes carried out by KSU volunteers.

KSU president Mark Mifsud Bonnici said the project was one of a number of environmental initiatives carried out by the hunters’ group. He said KSU had last year planted some 500 indigenous trees on its members’ private hunting land, and committed to their care and maintenance.

The organisation has also been awarded government funds for a series of lectures for hunters and the public on bird appreciation, hunting laws, Natura 2000 regulations, safe gun handling, and other subjects.

Environment minister José Herrera highlighted the value of the group’s initiatives, particularly the use of private land for afforestation. He said the government would be following this up with a number of greening projects in urban areas under the remit of the new environment authority Ambjent Malta, which will be set up in the coming weeks.

Also present were parliamentary secretary Clint Camilleri and President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the project patron, who praised KSU’s volunteer efforts and expressed hope that the project would help children and the public reconnect with the natural environment.