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This project is a series of research about birds and migratory birds of

the Maltese islands. In the first part of this project I did some research about birds and specifically about migratory birds .Than

I collected 7 types of different birds that migrate to the Maltese islands and did some research about them and also analyze their

feather’s colour, analyze the height of their feet, analyze size of the beak and adoptions. In this project I am going to study these 7 birds closely. I am going to investigate them like Charles Darwin did but

obviously on smaller scale.

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin, (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an

English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed

the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved

in selective breeding .Charles Darwin did an intense research about species and organisms when he went on a “voyage” (The Voyage of

the Beagle ) . Darwin came to understand that any population consists of organisms that are all slightly different from one another. Those organisms having a variation that gives them an advantage in

staying alive long enough to successfully reproduce are the ones that pass on their traits more frequently to the next generation.

Subsequently, their traits become more common and the population evolves. Darwin called this "descent with modification.”

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Darwin’s Finches

The term Darwin's Finches was first applied by Percy Lowe in 1936,

and popularized in 1947 by David Lack in his book Darwin's

Finches. The birds vary in size from 10 to 20 cm and weigh between

8 and 38 grams. The smallest are the warbler-finches and the largest

is the Vegetarian Finch. The most important differences between

species are in the size and shape of their beaks, and the beaks are

highly adapted to different food sources. The birds are all dull-

colored.

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Information about birds :

Bird , the only animal with feathers. All birds have feathers and most

birds can fly. It is the possession of feathers, not the ability to fly, that distinguishes birds from other animals – some are flightless (like

penguin , ostrich ) .The bird is an air-breathing animal that has a backbone and warm blood. It has two pairs of limbs- forelimbs adapted into wings for flying or swimming and hind legs for walking

,swimming ,perching or grasping .Although it hears well , the bird has no external ears. It reproduces by means of one or more hard-

shelled eggs , usually placed in a nest. Birds build their nests in a variety of places, including rocky ledges, trees, shrubs, or clumps of grass. Some fishes hollow out nests in the mud or gravel of pond

bottoms or stream beds .

How Do Birds Fly ? The bodies of birds are specially modified to give them the power of

flight .Their bones are hollow to keep them light .Their bodies are also extremely lightweight, allowing them to glide and fly with the

minimum of effort. For example , an eagle has a wing span of more than 3 metres and yet it weighs less than 4 kilograms. Birds also have air sacs linked to their lungs to give them extra oxygen as they

flap their wings.

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Migration

Many birds and some insects ,fish and mammals, travel regulary from one location to another to accommodate themselves to environmental variations , or to their needs for certain changes in the

environment. These periodic movements , which are often seasonal , are called migrations . Some animals apparently migrate for feeding

purposes. As winter comes on .for example , many plant eating animals of the northern hemisphere go south where growing and

insects are plentiful .Deer, elk, and some birds that spend summers high in the mountains spend winters at much lower levels. Some animals migrate to find conditions that are suitable for

breeding. These conditions may include availability of nesting sites and materials and proper temperatures for breeding and caring for

their young.

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These are the 7 birds I choose to do some research about them

Biological Name of

The bird

English Name Maltese Name

Monticola solitarius Blue Rock Thrush Merill

Phalacrocorax carbo Great Cormorant Margun

Erithacus rubecula Robin Pitirross

Egretta garzetta Little Egret Argett Abjad

Alcedo atthis Common kingfisher Għasfur ta’ San Martin

Phoenicopterus roseus Greater Flamingo Fjamingu

Pernis apivorus Honey buzzard kuċċarda

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Merill

The Blue Rock Thrush, the National bird of the Maltese Islands, is a

solitary birds which resides in cliffs, especially the ones near the

coast. The male's body is all blue with black wings and tail. The

female is not colourful like the male is, as it is dark brown in colour.

The Blue Rock Thrush feeds on worms, grasshoppers, lizards and

skinks. The breeding season of this bird starts in March/April, when it

is seen carrying twigs towards the cliffs, and ends in May/June. A

female lays between 3 to 6 eggs and the pair may have 2 broods in

the same season. In Malta this bird is widely known for its melodious

song, echoing in the valleys. The male starts to sing from February

and stops end of May. Telegraph poles, wires, trapping hides and

rubble walls are amongst this birds favourite perches.

Status and Distribution:

The Blue Rock Thrush population in Malta is quite a strong one, with

it being present along all the cliffs of western and northern coasts of

mainland Malta. It is not usually recorded on the eastern coast of

mainland Malta due to the lack of cliffs. It is also found breeding

along the coasts of Gozo and Comino.

When to See:

All year round

Where to See:

Mainly near sea cliffs but

may be also present in steep

inland valleys or near

buildings in ruins. A very

good place to see the Blue

Rock Thrush is the Majjistral

Natural

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Margun

The Great Cormorant, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. Its a large black bird, with a longish tail, thick,

long bill and yellow throat-patch. It feeds on the sea, in estuaries, and on freshwater lakes and rivers. Northern birds migrate south and winter along any coast that is well-supplied with fish. The Great

Cormorant can dive to considerable depths, but often feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings prey to the surface. A wide variety

of fish are taken. The Great Cormorant is one of the few birds which can move its eyes, which assists in hunting. The Great Cormorant breeds mainly on coasts, nesting on cliffs or in trees, but also

increasingly inland. 3-4 eggs are laid in a nest of seaweed or twigs. Many fishermen see in the Great Cormorant a competitor for fish.

Because of this it was nearly hunted to extinction in the past. Thanks to conservation efforts its numbers increased. At the moment there are about 1,2 million birds in Europe. Chinese fishermen sometimes

tie fishing line around the throats of cormorants, tight enough to prevent swallowing, and deploy them from small boats. The

cormorants "eat" fish without being able to fully swallow them, and the fishermen are able to retrieve the fish simply by forcing open the cormorants'

mouths, apparently engaging the regurgitation reflex. This traditional fishing

method is known as Cormorant fishing.

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Status: Regular autumn/winter migrant. In Malta the nominate species

occurs, but the sub species lucidus/maroccanus of North Africa occured once when a single bird was recorded from Qawra on the

19th of November 2004. Mostly seen migrating in singles or in small flocks. An unusually large flock, in fact the largest ever recorded in Malta, was seen from Qawra on the 21st of February 2001. The flock

was of 80 birds. Although it is not considered as a wintering bird in Malta, some birds do spend a part of the winter here. In winter 2009-

2010, a group of 9 birds wintered at Salina. When to See:

Mid-September till March. Where to See: Mostly seen from the coast, migrating offshore. Some use Salina,

Ghadira and Simar Nature Reserves as feeding/resting spots. They often come into harbours aswell.

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Pitirross: The Robin usually associated with Christmas time is a sign that

Autumn migration is coming to an end. They have a distinctive orange red breast, small dark bill, olive brown uppersides and

undersides and brown legs. Juveniles have dark plumage with red spots and brown fade body. The Robin arrives in large numbers in October and November. Many of these winter in Malta and therefore

set up and defend their territory and keep other Robins out of it. It feeds from the ground searching for spiders, insects, worms, berries

and seeds. Often comes to bird tables. It has a beautiful song and an tik-ik-ik-ik-ik alert call. Its population is secure and a Robin normally lives 3-5 years. Many Robins winter in the Mediterranean.

Status: Very Common late autumn migrant and wintering species.

When to See: Autumn migrants arrive in October-November and stay with us until March-April. A few also stay in summer in wooded areas with water

present but never breed. Where to See:

May be seen in any place with the presence of vegitation. One of the few birds that visit our bird tables.

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Argett Abjad Little Egrets are lively and elegant white herons, always fun to watch.

They have a black beak and and black legs. Their feet are distinctivley yellow and during breeding season they spread plumes

of head, back and breast. Little Egrets wade in shallow water, sometimes belly-deep, often running around to stir fish around, making it easier for them to grasp with their long, sharp beaks.

These birds nest in tree colonies, often with other heron species. Status and Distribution:

A common heron. Seen mainly in Spring and Autumn. Many singles are seen in the reserves and many flocks are seen both in the reserves and from the coasts, often seen resting on small islets or

large rocks. As a breeder, the Little Egret is very rare, having attampted breeding only once, in 2007 at Salina. A pair with a nest

contaning 3 eggs tried to breed in June 2007 but one of the adults was shot by poachers and therefore the breeding attempt failed. In 2010 a pair bred again at Salina, this time raising successfully 4

young. When to See:

Spring and Autumn. Some spend the summer. Where to See:

Simar, Ghadira and Salina. May be seen flying from anywhere,

especially from the coast.

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Għasfur Ta’ San Martin

The Common Kingfisher is a small sparrow-sized kingfisher that can be found across Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from places where rivers freeze in winter. You'll find Common Kingfishers perched 3 to 6 feet above water with its bill pointing down as it searches for prey. It bobs its head when food is detected to gauge the distance, and then plunges steeply down to seize its prey usually no deeper than 19 inches below the surface. They eat mainly fish, but they'll also catch insects and crustaceans including shrimps.

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Fjamingu

The Greater Flamingo is a large bird and well-known to many people.

It is tall, pink and white plumage with a down curved bill. It has pink legs and reveals black wings with crimson red in flight. In flight its

pink neck is a key feature in identification especially if seen very far away. Feeds on invertebrates and algae by funneling its beak through shallow water. It breeds in several colonies around the

Mediterranean with c 35,000 pairs mainly in Spain, Sardinia, France and Turkey. Juvenile birds are darker and more grey. Often seen in

flocks. Status:

The Greater Flamingo is scarce and irregular, mostly seen in singles or small flocks offshore. Some singles or couples rest at Ghadira Nature Reserve for some time. A single 1st year flamingo stayed at

Ghadira from September 2008 till May 2009. On 6th November 2008 a 1st year Flamingo, carrying a ring from Sardegna was present at

Salina. When to See: It is recorded in a number of different months, but mostly in

September migrating along the coast. Where to See:

Occasionally some individuals 1-2 spend some hours or days at Ghadira Nature Reserve where they feed. Other sites; Qawra, Salina and around the

coast.

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Kuċċarda

A big long winged buzzard with a small head and a rather long tail

with three dark bands. It has variable plumage patterns. The male has a grey head, Female has a brownish head and juvenile has a much whitish head with a yellow base at the bill. The Honey Buzzard

migrates in flocks and is usually seen in the afternoons. They spend their winter in Africa south of the Sahara. Like many other birds of

prey, the honey buzzard finds it difficult to fly over open sea difficult so they prefer to soar on rising air which occurs on land therefore their migratory routes concentrate over short sea crossings like

Gibraltar, Sicily, Falsterbo(Sweden), Greece, Bosphorus(Turkey) and Malta. It likes eating Honey, wasps, bees, ants and other insects.

Status: Common Autumn migrant in September till October and in Spring April till May. Mainly seen in the afternoon in flocks and occasionally

roost in wooded areas and other undisturbed land. On a good day with favorable winds, numbers can reach to over 500 individuals.

When to See: April/May and August till October. Where to See:

During migration may be seen from anywhere. Amongst the best places in Autumn is Buskett where many Honey Buzzards are seen

along with other raptors. A good place to see Honey Buzzard in Spring is Dwejra, Malta.

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In this part of the project I am going to analyse the birds closely .

I picked 4 factors : Colour of the bird

Size of the beak

Size of bird

Weight

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1.Colour of the bird

Name of bird in

Maltese

Description Picture

Merill The male's body is all blue with

black wings and tail. The female is

not colourful like the male is, as it is dark brown in

colour.

Margun Its a large black bird, with a

longish tail, thick, long bill and yellow throat-

patch

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Pitirross They have a distinctive orange

red breast, small dark bill, olive

brown uppersides and undersides

and brown legs. Juveniles have dark plumage

with red spots and brown fade

body.

Argett Abjad As the name indicates this

birds are white with black beak

and black feet

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Għasfur ta’ San

Martin

Actually the kingfishers actual

colour is a murky brown colour. If

you were to place the iridescent

blue feather of the kingfisher into the shade,

the colour changes to this

brown colour. This is because when the

kingfishers feathers are hit

by the white light from the sun, the feathers only

absorb the only absorb the blue

frequency (wavelength) of

light. As a result when the light reaches your

eyes, the eyes register that the

blue wavelength of light is missing, so we

see the feathers as blue in the sun

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Fjamingu It is tall, pink and white plumage

with a down curved bill. It has

pink legs and reveals black

wings with crimson red in flight. In flight its

pink neck is a key feature in

identification especially if seen very far away

kuċċarda The male has a

grey head, Female has a brownish head

and juvenile has a much whitish

head with a yellow base at the bill.

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2.Size of beak

Maltese name Size of the beak

Merill Compared to it is body this birds

has tall narrow beak about 4 cm

long so it can grab worms or any

other insect

Margun This bird has strong , big beak it

mainly eats fish so when it goes

flying above the sea water it

enters it is beak into the sea and

search for fish

Pitirross This bird has small beak it mainly

feeds on small insects such as

small spiders, insects, worms

etcc..

Argett Abjad These birds has long sharp beak

they also feed on fish

Għasfur ta’ San Martin This small bird bobs its head into

the sea and catches whatever

fish it can find

Fjamingu It has a black beak and it is

pointed so it can dive for fish

easily

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Kuccarda This bird has a small beak but a powerful one .It likes eating

Honey, wasps, bees, ants and

other insects.

3. Size of bird

Maltese name Size of bird

Merill 20 – 23 cm

Margun 89 - 100 cm

Pitirross 18-28cm

Argett Abjad 64 cm

Għasfur ta’ San Martin 17-19.5 cm

Fjamingu 120 - 145 cm

Kuccarda 52 - 60 cm

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4. Weight of the bird

Maltese name Weight

Merill 37 – 70 g

Margun 2500 - 4000 g

Pitirross 35-65 g

Argett Abjad 300 g

Għasfur ta’ San Martin 25-30 g

Fjamingu 2100 – 4100 g

Kuccarda 440 - 1,050 g

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These are some websites that helped me during these project : www.wikipedia.com

www.google.com.mt

www.birdlifemalta.org

www.birdinginmalta.com

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This project was really helpful for me , it helped me to value more this precious organsims , they give life to the sky .Now I strongly

disagree with hunting for birds , I feel that hunters are emptying our skies .

I would like to thank my amazing biology teacher who helped me so much with this project .