Black winged stilt Himantopus himantopus |
The black winged stilt is known in Maltese
as fras-servjent. It is an uncommon spring and autumn migrant that is
sometimes seen in small flocks. It is easily recognised by its striking white
and black pattern and long beak and pink legs.
Several years ago I predicted that some day
the black winged stilt would start breeding in Malta. It is common in wetlands
around the Mediterranean and couples had been seen taking part in courtship
displays at the Għadira Nature Reserve.
In 2011 a pair did build a nest and
successfully raising their young in the reserve. Last year no black winged
stilts bred at Għadira but this year not one, but three pairs are breeding in
the reserve.
This augurs well for the future of this
bird as a regular breeder in the Maltese islands.
Black winged stilts are not the only waders
to breed at Għadira. In 1995 a pair of little ringed plovers, monakella
in Maltese, bred on one of the islands in the reserve. Since then this species
has bred successfully every year. An average of six pairs breed in the reserve
every year. The little ringed plover can now be listed as a breeding species.
The Għadira and the Simar nature reserves have
been instrumental in attracting new breeding aquatic birds such as the coot and
little grebe to the Maltese islands.
Other birds such as the little bittern bred
once or twice and might become regular breeders in the future while others such
as the moorhen and reed warbler had bred outside the reserve before but have now
established strong breeding populations in the reserves.
The
success of these reserves is that they have provided habitats which previously
did not exist in the Maltese islands. They also provide a safe haven where they
can breed without being shot.
Nature reserves are important because they
tend to encourage birds to breed in new areas or in new countries. In the UK
nature reserves are sometimes called ‘welcome door mats’ because several
species breed for the first times in nature reserve and from there move to new
areas to establish breeding populations outside the boundaries of the nature reserves.
This article was published in The Times of Malta on 5 June 2013
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