BirdLife Malta

27/10/2026

Are you based on Gozo, and want to lend us a hand in the rescue and recovery of injured birds?

We want to hear from you! As part of our Voluntary Organisation Project Scheme ‘Strenghtening Bird Rescue Capacity in Gozo through volunteering’ we are holding a training session in Gozo on Friday 6th November 2026 to recruit and train volunteers in helping us help wild birds in distress on the island of Gozo.

Interested participants can register here by the 2nd November: https://forms.gle/Jza9pZBVSjSHReXC8 and will be given further details on the event by email.

Photo by Luca Eberle.

25/10/2026

🌱 Help BirdLife Malta win the Environment Award!

Our project Shifting Sands – Restoring Malta’s Dunes has been shortlisted among the final three projects for the Environment Award at Malta’s Sustainable Development Action Awards 2026!

At Għadira Nature Reserve, our Land Management team is restoring one of Malta’s rarest habitats by removing invasive vegetation, encouraging indigenous dune plants to return and protecting wildlife, including the rare Burrowing Sand Cricket.

Now, we need YOUR vote! The public vote accounts for 10% of the final score, so every vote counts.

🗳️ How to vote for BirdLife Malta:
1️⃣ Visit 👉 https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/voting-2026/environment-award-vote-2026/
2️⃣ Enter your email address and click proceed to vote.
3️⃣ Select BirdLife Malta – Shifting Sands: Restoring Malta’s Dunes.

📅 Voting closes on Friday, 6 November 2026.

Please share this post with your friends and family and encourage them to vote too!

Together, we can give nature a voice and help protect Malta’s precious natural habitats. 💚

25/10/2026

1.25 MILLION PEOPLE across Europe have sent a powerful message to EU leaders: our health and nature are not for sale! 🙌🌱

BirdLife Malta has supported the campaign from the very start, standing alongside BirdLife Europe and its partners to defend the laws that protect wild birds, their habitats, our water and our health.

Over the past year, EU environmental protections have faced growing pressure in the name of “simplification”. More than 1.25 million people have now called on the European Commission not to weaken these vital laws.

On Friday 23 October, the campaign coalition delivered 1,254,722 signatures directly to EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall in Brussels, carrying a clear message: protect nature laws, don’t dismantle them.

This is the power of people standing together. Thank you to everyone who supported the campaign! 🌿

Read the full press release 👉 https://birdlifemalta.org/2026/10/1-25-million-tell-the-eu-stop-weakening-nature-laws/

Continue following the campaign for next steps: www.handsoffnature.eu

24/10/2026

Join our Upcycling Workshop! Turn your junk drawer into your new favourite accessory! Fabric scraps, spare beads, that one earring you lost the pair to years ago; it’s all fair game.

The workshop will be led by Gail Hooper, the craftsperson behind The Clever Cuttlefish. Gail works with textiles, sewing, stitching, and non-precious jewellery to create handmade birds, creatures, and other wonderfully peculiar objects.

You'll leave with a one-of-a-kind charm for your bag, keys or backpack, and the smug satisfaction of having made something instead of buying it.

Bring anything you'd like to upcycle, from old clothes, fabric offcuts, to buttons with sentimental value you can't quite throw away. Everything else is provided. No previous crafting experience is required.

📍 Salina Nature Reserve

📅 Saturday, 21 November 2026

🕑 14:00–16:00

Minimum age to participate: 14+

🎟 €13 for BirdLife Malta members

🎟 €13 for participants who pre-registered during Salt Fest

🎟 €15 general price

Spaces are limited and advance booking is required.

Register here today! https://forms.gle/2Wu5h61ZPtbdyBFW7

23/10/2026

Għasri: A second chance stolen

She survived a gunshot, recovered, crossed the Mediterranean and returned to Malta. Just four days later, Għasri was dead.

This rehabilitated, GPS-tagged kestrel’s story is a stark reminder that the illegal killing of protected birds remains a serious problem in Malta.

Her second chance should not have ended this way.

Read our full press release: https://birdlifemalta.org/2026/10/rehabilitated-common-kestrel-returns-to-malta-after-completing-migration-cycle-only-to-be-killed-and-dumped-at-sea-four-days-later/

23/10/2026

Malta is becoming brighter and brighter, and shearwaters are suffering the cost.

Bright lights on the coast from development and recreational activities disorient young Scopoli’s shearwaters (Ċief) as they leave their nest for the first time. These birds can become grounded on land, leaving them dehydrated, weak and unable to make their own way to sea.

You can do your part. If you find a grounded shearwater, call BirdLife Malta on 2134 7645 (office hours) / 7925 5697 (evenings/weekend) or police on 119. Place the bird in a cardboard box with ventilation holes until we can collect it.

More lights mean more grounded shearwaters. This October, take a stance against light pollution and take note of our ecologically responsible lighting guidelines:https://birdlifemalta.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Guidelines-for-Ecologically-Responsible-Lighting.pdf

Photos by Ben Metzger.
Post prepared by Lola Von Kietzell.

22/10/2026

🇲🇹 Fl-aħħar jiem, bejn il-15 ta' Ottubru u nhar it-Tnejn li għadda, fir-Riserva Naturali tas-Salina wieħed seta' josserva Paletta li apparti ċurkett tal-metall, kellha ċurkett abjad bl-ittri BAAP.

Dan it-tip ta' ċurkett tal-kulur jippermettilna nidentifikaw għasfur individwali mill-bogħod, mingħajr ma jkollna għalxiex nerġgħu naqbduh. Permezz tiegħu nkunu nistgħu nsiru nafu fejn u meta ġie irringjat l-għasfur, kif ukoll fejn ikun ġie osservat matul ħajtu.

L-istorja ta' din il-Paletta bdiet fis-27 ta' Ġunju tal-2017, meta ġiet imlibbsa dan iċ-ċurkett minn ringers kollegi tagħna fi ħdan EURING f'kolonja f'Baranda, fis-Serbja, meta kienet għadha ferħ fil-bejta (punt 0 fuq il-mappa). Dan ifisser li llum għandha ftit aktar minn 9 snin!

Minn dak iż-żmien 'l hawn, din il-Paletta reġgħet ġiet osservata diversi drabi fl-Ungerija (punti 1–8 fuq il-mappa). Fl-2021 ġiet osservata sitt darbiet bejn Mejju u Awwissu, wara erba' snin dehret f'Mejju tal-2025 u l-aħħar osservazzjoni tagħha qabel waslet Malta kienet fis-7 ta' Lulju tal-2026 (punt 8).

U issa tfaċċat Malta (punt 9)! Hawnhekk qattgħet diversi jiem titrejjaq fir-Riserva Naturali tas-Salina.

Sfortunatament, waqt il-waqfa tagħha f'Malta, din il-Paletta ntlaqtet minn tir u ġie osservat xi demm fuq ġwenħajha. Fortunatament pero, jidher li ma ġarrbitx ġrieħi gravi, peress li xorta setgħet tiekol u ttir tajjeb.

Minn din l-istorja tal-Paletta naraw l-importanza tar-ringing u kif permezz ta' dawn iċ-ċrieket nitgħallmu aktar fuq il-movimenti ta' dawn l-għasafar. Toħroġ ukoll l-importanza ta' riżervi naturali u żoni protetti bħal dik tas-Salina, fejn dan l-għasfur seta jieqaf jistrieħ waqt il-passa tiegħu.

🇬🇧 In recent days, between 15 October and last Monday, a Eurasian Spoonbill was observed at Salina Nature Reserve with a metal ring and a white colour ring bearing the letters BAAP.

This type of colour ring allows us to identify an individual bird from a distance, without having to recapture it. It enables us to find out where and when the bird was ringed, as well as where it has been observed throughout its life.

The story of this Eurasian Spoonbill began on 27 June 2017, when our fellow ringers within EURING fitted it with this ring at a colony in Baranda, Serbia, when it was still a chick (point 0 on the map). This means that it is now just over nine years old!

Since then, this Eurasian Spoonbill has been observed on several occasions in Hungary (points 1–8 on the map). In 2021, it was recorded six times between May and August. After a gap of four years, it was spotted again in May 2025, and its last recorded sighting before arriving in Malta was on 7 July 2026 (point 8).

And now it has turned up in Malta (point 9)! It spent several days feeding and replenishing its energy reserves at Salina Nature Reserve.

Unfortunately, during its stay in Malta, the Eurasian Spoonbill was shot, and some blood was observed on its wing. Fortunately, however, it does not appear to have suffered serious injuries, as it was still able to feed and fly well.

This Eurasian Spoonbill's story highlights the importance of bird ringing and how these rings help us learn more about the movements of birds. It also underlines the importance of nature reserves and protected areas such as Salina, where this bird was able to stop and rest during its migration.

21/10/2026

The best way to protect nature is to understand it. Through interactive activities, children will learn about birds, their habitats, and the important role they play in our environment🐦

📅 When? 24th October
⏰ Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
📍https://maps.app.goo.gl/xdM3CQrWo1qFq5nF7

👉 Spaces are limited, so be sure to register your place today : https://wkf.ms/4jpyJG

21/10/2026

Come see us at Together We Shine 2026!

We BirdLife Malta are part of this unforgettable FREE family day out on Sunday 25th October, powered by voluntary organisations from across the country!

You can look forward to:

🛍️ A market area
🎨 An interactive kids’ fun zone
🎭 Inspiring music, theatre and sport showcases
🍔 Food trucks
🍿 A FREE sunset outdoor cinema screening of Peter Rabbit II @ 5:30pm

Important details 👇

⏳Sunday, 25th October 2026 | 12:00 PM – 7:30 PM

📍San Klement Family Park, Ħaż-Żabbar

So call your crew, reserve your cinema spots below, click attending to the Together We Shine 2026 Event Page 👉 https://fb.me/e/76y8fyzYU

Reserve your FREE outdoor cinema spots now:
https://forms.gle/AHjUTFR9YNAYphim8

Supported by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector.

20/10/2026

🇲🇹🚨 Jerġa' jiftaħ l-istaġun tal-insib bi ksur tal-liġi tal-UE!

Malta kompliet tisfida żewġ sentenzi tal-Qorti Ewropea tal-Ġustizzja li jikkonfermaw li l-insib għall-għasafar tal-għana huwa illegali, id-Direttiva Ewropea tal-Għasafar u numru ta' proċeduri ta’ ksur tal-liġi tal-Unjoni Ewropea, billi mil-llum reġgħet awtorizzat l-insib tal-Mlievez u tal-Għasafar tal-Għana bl-iskuża ta' “riċerka” u l-insib tal-Pluvieri mill-ewwel ta' Novembru.

U din id-darba mhux talli sfidat dan kollu billi reġgħet fetħet staġun tal-insib iżda talli żiedet l-ammont ta' siti għall-insib tal-għasafar.

Skont il-mappa ibbażata fuq il-koordinati uffiċjali tal-Wild Birds Regulation Unit, ġew irreġistrati 3,688 sit għall-“riċerka” dwar l-għasafar tal-għana - 756 mansab iktar minn kemm kienu rreġistrati s-sena l-oħra.

Skont l-istess mappa, ġew irreġistrati 1,800 sit ieħor għall-insib tal-Pluvieri u tal-Imlievez - 159 mansab iktar minn kemm kienu rreġistrati s-sena l-oħra.

Ħafna minn dawn l-imnasab approvati mill-WBRU, jinsabu fuq art pubblika.

🇬🇧🚨 Trapping season reopens in breach of EU law!

Malta has continued to defy two European Court of Justice rulings confirming that finch trapping is illegal, the EU Birds Directive and several EU infringement proceedings. From today, Malta has once again authorised the trapping of Song Thrushes and the capture of finches under the guise of “research”. The trapping season for Golden Plovers opens on 1 November.

This time, Malta has not only reopened trapping activities in defiance of EU law, but has also increased the number of authorised trapping sites.

According to the map based on the official coordinates published by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU), 3,688 sites have been registered for finch ‘research’ – 756 more than last year.

The same map lists a further 1,800 sites for trapping Golden Plovers and Song Thrushes – 159 more than last year.

Many of these trapping sites approved by the WBRU are located on public land.

📍 Check the map of registered trapping sites:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1j0VmqQlXoKkeFDhU0pD5yaVa77vVMnw&g_ep=CAESBzI2LjQxLjQYACDdYirHASwxMDA4NDI5NDIsOTQyNjc3MjcsOTQyOTIxOTUsOTQyOTk1MzIsMTAwNzk2NDk4LDEwMDc5Nzc2MSwxMDA3OTY1MzUsOTQyODA1NzYsOTQyMDczOTQsOTQyMDc1MDYsOTQyMDg1MDYsOTQyMTg2NTMsOTQyMjk4MzksOTQyNzUxNjgsOTQyNzk2MTksMTAwODM1NzEwLDEwMDgyMDIzNywxMDA4MjI0OTQsMTAwODI3OTc1LDEwMDgzODM1OSwxMjE4MTY0NjFCAk1U&skid=f8f7b52b-7a73-47da-8c4c-cbe61833b302&shorturl=1&ll=35.96740645552993%2C14.35660228505859&z=11

European Environment Agency BirdLife Europe and Central Asia European Commission

This map reflects the coordinates given by WBRU for the trapping sites of Golden Plover and Song Thrush, as well as Finch 'research' site across Malta and Gozo. One can reconfirm the site locations by accessing the original source at WBRU and search for the name of the site. We accept no liability f...