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Merilli Malta Project

@merillimalta

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🪺 The colour-ringing research project to study Malta's national bird, the Blue Rock-thrush - il-Merill!
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🕵️ Despite being the national bird of Malta, there is still much to discover about the Blue Rock-thrush's breeding biology and movement ecology. We've been playing hide-and-seek with Blue Rock-thrushes since 2022! This long-term scientific project aims to uncover: 🔵 the movements of both young and adult Blue Rock-thrushes over the annual cycle; 🔵 the sizes of territories that Blue Rock-thrushes defend during the year; 🔵 differences between rural and urban breeding Blue Rock-thrushes. ❗ Keep following us to discover what we've learnt so far and what the next steps will be! 🇲🇹 🕵️ Minkejja li l-Merill huwa l-għasfur nazzjonali ta' Malta, hemm ħafna li għadna ma nafux dwar l-ekoloġija ta' din l-ispeċi! Ilna mill-2022 nilagħbu noli mal-Merilli! Dan l-istudju fuq medda twila ta' żmien għandu l-għan li jiskopri: 🔵 il-movimenti kemm tal-adulti kif ukoll tal-frieħ fuq il-medda tas-sena; 🔵 id-daqs tat-territorji li l-Merilli jiddefendu matul is-sena; 🔵 differenzi bejn Merilli li jbejtu fl-urban u dawk li jbejtu fir-rural. ❗ Ibqgħu segwuna biex tiskopru x'tgħallimna s'issa u x'se jkunu l-passi li ġejjin! by @merillimalta
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a year ago
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📣📌 Check out our interactive map to see where you're most likely to spot a colour-ringed Blue Rock-thrush! 💍 Together with colleagues from the local ringing scheme, we've fitted over 250 Blue Rock-thrushes with colour-rings across the Maltese islands. 📷 While there's a good chance to photograph a ringed Blue Rock-thrush close to the site where it was ringed as an adult, both adults and young can fly several kilometres to forage or establish territories elsewhere. So keep an eye out for colour-ringed Blue Rock-thrushes wherever you are! 👉🔗 The interactive map can be found on our home page - link in the comments below and in the bio. 👇🇲🇹 📌 Żur il-mappa interattiva tagħna biex tara fejn hemm l-ikbar ċans li tara Merill b'ċurkett tal-kulur! 💍 Flimkien ma' kollegi mill-iskema lokali tal-bird ringing, libbisna 'l fuq minn 250 Merill b'ċurkett tal-kulur madwar il-Gżejjer Maltin. 📷 Filwaqt li huwa iktar probabbli li tiġbed ritratt ta' Merill irringjat viċin il-post fejn inqabad, kemm l-adulti kif ukoll il-frieħ kapaċi jtiru diversi kilometri biex ifittxu l-ikel jew biex jokkupaw territorji ġodda. Allura żomm għajnejk miftuħin għal Merilli rringjati tkun fejn tkun! 👉🔗 Il-mappa interattiva tinsab fuq is-sit elettroniku tagħna - sib il-ħolqa fil-kummenti t'hawn taħt jew fil-bio. by @merillimalta
1
a year ago
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📣 The Merilli Malta research project is inviting nature photographers to participate in a citizen-science initiative to study Malta’s national bird - the Blue Rock-thrush. 🪺 Merilli Malta is a bird-ringing project, led by professional ornithologists Dr Benjamin Metzger and Dr Marie Claire Gatt, researching how and when Blue Rock-thrushes move around the Maltese Islands over the annual cycle, the sizes of territories that they defend during the year, as well as implications of the species’ increasing urban presence. ID codes on colour-rings on birds' legs can be read through a telephoto camera lens or telescope, meaning that information on individually-recognisable birds can be obtained without the need to recapture them, amounting in a lot more data with which to answer important biological questions. 📷 Are you a bird-watcher or nature enthusiast and enjoy nature photography? Be part of this project by photographing colour-ringed Blue Rock-thrushes in their habitat and submitting the details of your sighting to the dedicated online platform on the project's website: 🔗 in comments below 👇👇 On your submission, you will receive the history of the Blue Rock-thrush photographed and will be contributing to answering pertinent questions about our national bird! 🇲🇹 Aqra bil-Malti fil-kummenti 👇 by @merillimalta
1
a year ago
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They did it again! 🐣 A pair of Blue Rock-thrushes have successfully raised a second clutch of three chicks in our nest box at Il-Forn ta' Kemmuna! Around a week after hatching, they weighed between 36g and 41g, over half the weight of an adult. That's another three colour-ringed Blue Rock-thrushes - K71, K72, and K73 - ready to tell us more about the dispersal movements of young birds...if you can spot them! 💚 We're incredibly happy to be collaborating with Friends of the Earth Malta on this project to conserve and improve the integrity of our natural environment and increase the presence of nature in our built environment, not only for the benefit of our country's wildlife but also for the health and happiness of our societies. Thanks to @inigotaylorphotography and human fledgling, Rosie, for joining the ringing session! 👇🇲🇹 Reġgħu għamluha! 🐣 Par Merilli rabbew b'suċċess it-tieni grupp ta' tliet ifrieħ fil-kaxxa tal-bejta ġewwa @il.forn.kemmuna ! Kienu jiżnu bejn 36 g u 41 g madwar ġimgħa wara li faqqsu, iktar minn nofs il-piż ta' Merill adult. Tliet Merilli oħra bi ċrieket tal-kulur - K71, K72, and K73 - lesti biex jgħidulna aktar dwar il-movimenti tat-tixrid tal-għasafar żgħar...jekk jirnexxielek tarahom! 💚 Ninsabu kuntenti ħafna li qed nikkollaboraw ma' @foe_malta fuq dan il-proġett biex nipproteġu u ntejbu l-integrità tal-ambjent naturali tagħna, kif ukoll inħeġġu l-preżenza tan-natura fl-ibliet tagħna, mhux biss għall-benefiċċju tal-ħajja selvaġġa ta' pajjiżna iżda wkoll għas-saħħa u l-kuntentizza tas-soċjetajiet tagħna. Grazzi lil @inigo_taylor_photography u l-fellusa Rosie talli ngħaqdu magħna għas-sessjoni ta' ringing. by @merillimalta
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3 months ago
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🟡 Exciting news from Gozo! 🗺️ Last month, visiting nature photographer Sławomir Kuczmarski observed a colour-ringed female Blue Rock-thrush, G26, carrying food for chicks at a nest site in Marsalforn. We looked into our database and found that G26 had been ringed in May 2022...at Ta' Ċenċ! She was around a year old when our colleague Adin Vella fitted her with a colour-ring, and this sighting is the first since - breeding almost 6km away! This is the furthest recorded displacement of a Blue Rock-thrush in the Maltese Islands! Distances between sightings of ringed birds are scarcely ever more than 1km. This tells us that there's still so much left to learn about the movements of this species...and we're ecstatic to be discovering it with your contributions! 📷 Be part of this project by photographing colour-ringed Blue Rock-thrushes and submitting your sighting on our project's website - 🔗 in bio. Photos by Sławomir Kuczmarski. 👇🇲🇹 🟡Aħbar eċċitanti minn Għawdex! 🗺️ Ix-xahar li għadda, il-fotografu Sławomir Kuczmarski osserva Merill mara liebsa iċ-ċurkett tal-kulur G26 ġġorr l-ikel għall-flieles ġewwa Marsalforn. Ħarisna fid-database tagħna u sibna li G26 tlibbset iċ-ċurkett f’Mejju 2022... f’Ta’ Ċenċ! Kellha madwar sena meta l-kollega tagħna Adin Vella libbsilha ċurkett tal-kulur, u din hija l-ewwel darba li ġiet osservata mill-ġdid - kważi 6km 'il bogħod u bil-bejta! Dan huwa l-akbar spostament ta' Merill irreġistrat fil-Gżejjer Maltin. Id-distanzi bejn l-avvistamenti ta’ għasafar irringjati rari jkunu aktar minn kilometru. Dan jgħidilna li għad fadal ħafna x’nitgħallmu dwar il-movimenti ta’ din l-ispeċi, u kuntentissimi li qed niskopruh bil-kontribut tagħkom! 📷 Kun parti minn dan il-proġett billi tiġbed ritratti ta’ Merilli ħielsa lebsin ċrieket tal-kulur u tissottometti l-osservazzjoni fis-sit elettroniku tal-proġett - ħolqa fil-bio. by @merillimalta
0
3 months ago
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🗞️ We spoke with journalist @matt_bonanno88 at @timesofmalta about Blue Rock-thrushes, the knowledge gaps the @merillimalta project aims to close, and how 🫵 YOU can participate! 💙 We thank @maltaenvironment for their support by cofinancing this project. 🇲🇹 👇 🗞️ Tkellimna ma' Matt Bonanno, ġurnalist mat-Times of Malta, dwar il-Merilli, il-mistoqsijiet pendenti li l-proġett Merilli Malta għandu l-mira li jwieġeb, u kif 🫵 INTI tistà tipparteċipa! 💙 Nirringrazzjaw lill-Malta Environment Foundation tas-sapport bil-kofinanzjar ta' dan il-proġett. by @merillimalta
1
4 months ago
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🌱 🇲🇹 We extend our solidarity to the people of Albania and the environmental groups there who are protesting and fighting against the ruin of their natural heritage at the alter of capitalism. 🇦🇱 Vjosa-Narta is a biodiverse lagoon at the mouth of one of the last wild rivers of Europe, overlooking what should be the island nature reserve of Sazan Island. But it is under the imminent threat of being swallowed up by a sprawling luxury resort, planned by none other than Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner with the collaboration of the Albanian government. ❌ Public land should not be sold to commercial interests. Nature is not a backdrop for private profits. Protected areas are not a luxury commodity. Protect Albania's Protected Areas! Protect the Vjosa Delta! by @merillimalta
11
4 months ago
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💍 Our first ringed nestlings from Manoel Island! 🤩 We were recently alerted to a nest with four chicks on Manoel Island. For a week, we discretely and remotely monitored the nest. Not only did we fit all chicks with colour-rings but we also identified both colour-ringed parents! 💙 The nest belongs to a young breeding pair ringed on Manoel Island last year. Male A30 was ringed in spring 2025 and was determined to have hatched in spring 2024, while female A46 was ringed last autumn and hatched only a year ago, making this her first breeding attempt! 🐛 She seems to have done a good job - the four chicks fledged at a healthy weight. We observed both parents feeding them with flying ants, dragonflies and geckos to fuel their growth. 🤞 We're crossing our fingers to spot these chicks later this year with your help, and uncover where they'll establish their own territory. 👇🇲🇹 💍 L-ewwel frieħ minn Manoel Island bi ċrieket tal-kulur! 🤩 Riċentament ġejna infurmati dwar bejta b’erbat iflieles fuq Manoel Island. Għal ġimgħa, immonitorjajna l-bejta mill-bogħod b’mod diskret. Mhux biss libbisna ċrieket tal-kulur lill-flieles kollha iżda identifikajna wkoll liż-żewġ ġenituri biċ-ċrieket tal-kulur! 💙 Il-bejta tappartjeni lil par żagħżugħa li rringjajna fuq Manoel Island is-sena li għaddiet. Ir-raġel A30 libbisnilu ċurkett fir-rebbiegħa tal-2025 u ddeterminajna li faqqas fir-rebbiegħa tal-2024, filwaqt li l-mara A46 libbisnilha ċurkett fil-ħarifa li għaddiet u faqqset biss sena ilu! B’hekk dan kien l-ewwel tentattiv ta’ tnissil tagħha! 🐛 Jidher li għamlet xogħol tajjeb - l-erbat iflieles taru mil-bejta b’piż tajjeb. Osservajna liż-żewġ ġenituri jżoqquhom b’nemel li jtir, mazzarell u wiżgħat. 🤞Issa qed nittamaw li naraw dawn il-flieles aktar tard din is-sena bl-għajnuna tagħkom, u niskopru fejn se jistabbilixxu t-territorju tagħhom. by @merillimalta
2
5 months ago
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💭 Did you know? 🪺 Blue Rock-thrush couples often have two clutches during a breeding season. Once the first group of chicks gains independence, the female can lay another clutch of eggs and the pair raises a second brood of chicks. 💬 Do you know the location of a Blue Rock-thrush nest? Keep the disturbance around the nest low, and email us about it on merilli.malta@gmail.com to help us study the young's dispersal movements. 📷 1: A fledgling leaving the nest; 2: A recently fledged male Blue Rock-thrush, still with a yellow gape; 3: A clutch of five Blue Rock-thrush eggs. 👇🇲🇹 💭 Kont taf li...? 🪺 Il-Merilli spiss ikollhom żewġ gruppi ta’ bajd matul l-istaġun tat-tnissil. Ladarba l-ewwel grupp ta’ flieles jikseb l-indipendenza, il-mara tista’ tbid grupp bajd oħra u l-par Merilli jrabbu t-tieni grupp ta’ flieles. 💬 Taf b'bejta tal-Merill? Ibgħatilna email dwar dan fuq merilli.malta@gmail.com biex tgħinna nistudjaw il-movimenti taż-żgħar! 📷 1: Fellus lest biex jaqbeż il-bejta; 2: Merill maskili immatur, għadu bil-ġenb ta' munqaru isfar; 3: Bejta tal-Merilli b'ħames bajdiet. by @merillimalta
0
5 months ago
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🤩 Some big news from the Merilli Malta project! 🐣 We recently colour-ringed the first chicks from our nestbox program! In collaboration with Friends of the Earth Malta, we'd installed a nestbox at Il-Forn ta' Kemmuna which they are lovingly restoring and transforming into an environmental communication and research centre. Within a month, a Blue Rock-thrush pair occupied it and hatched three chicks! The chicks have now fledged. 🥇 To our knowledge, our Blue Rock-thrush nestbox success is a world first! While nestboxes allow us to better understand the breeding ecology of this species, sightings of the ringed young in the future will uncover how far young birds establish their own territories. So if you're travelling to Kemmuna, don't forget to pack your camera!! 💬 If you know of a Blue Rock-thrush nest, keep disturbance around it low, and email us about it on merilli.malta@gmail.com to help us study them! All birds are handled only by trained professionals holding a EURING-recognised bird ringing licence from BirdLife Malta. 📷 1: Michelangelo Galea; 2-4: @inigo_taylor_photography 👇🇲🇹 🤩 Aħbar kbira mill-proġett Merilli Malta! 🐣 Riċentament libbisna ċrieket tal-kulur lill-ewwel flieles mill-programm tal-kaxxi tal-bejta tagħna! B'kollaborazzjoni ma' Friends of the Earth Malta installajna kaxxa tal-bejta ġewwa l-Forn ta' Kemmuna li qed jirrestawraw u jittrasformaw b'imħabba f'ċentru ta' komunikazzjoni u riċerka ambjentali. Fi żmien xahar, par Merilli okkupawha u faqqsu tliet flieles! Il-flieles issa qabżu mill-bejta. 🥇 Sa fejn nafu, is-suċċess tal-kaxxi tal-bejta tagħna għall-Merilli hija l-ewwel waħda fid-dinja! Filwaqt li , il-kaxxi tal-bejta jippermettulna nifhmu aħjar l-ekoloġija tat-tnissil ta' din l-ispeċi, osservazzjonijiet futuri tal-frieħ biċ-ċrieket tal-kulur jikxfu fejn jistabbilixxu t-territorji tagħhom. Mela jekk telgħin Kemmuna, tinsewx tippakkjaw l-kamera!! 💬 Jekk taf b'bejta tal-Merill qis li ma tikkawżax xkiel w infurmana dwarha fuq merilli.malta@gmail.com biex tgħinna nistudjawhom! L-għasafar jiġu mmanipulati biss minn professjonisti mħarrġa li għandhom liċenzja tal-bird ringing rikonoxxuta mill-EURING mingħand BirdLife Malta by @merillimalta
3
5 months ago
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🌍 Come meet us on World Environment Day! 📅 On Saturday 6th June Merilli Malta will be participating in the environmental fair being organised by Heritage Malta at Għar Dalam Cave and Museum in Birżebbuġa. 🌅 Our natural and cultural heritages are deeply intertwined. Even today, in a world seemingly shaped and moulded by humans, from our basic necessities to our sources of inspiration are still dependent on the environment we are part of. 👋 Come along to learn more about our project, how you can participate, and perhaps even spot a Blue Rock-thrush! See you there! 👇🇲🇹 🌍 Ejjew iltaqgħu magħna nhar il-Jun Dinji tal-Ambjent! 📅 Nhar is-Sibt 6 ta' Ġunju il-proġett @merillimalta ser jipparteċipa fil-fiera ambjentali organizzata minn @heritagemalta ġewwa s-sit ta' @ghar.dalam ġewwa Birżebbuġa. 🌅 Il-wirt naturali tagħna u dak storiku huma minsuġa flimkien. Anki llum, f'dinja li donnha tieħu l-forma li ntuha aħna l-bnedmin, minn-neċessitajiet bażiċi tal-ħajja sas-sorsi ta' ispirazzjoni tagħna għadom jiddependu mill-ambjent li nagħmlu parti minnu. 👋 Ejjew biex issiru tafu iktar dwar il-proġett tagħna u kif tistgħu tipparteċipaw, u biex forsi tilmħu Merill ukoll! Narawkom hemm! by @merillimalta
0
5 months ago
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🐣 Easter may feel like ages ago, but the Blue Rock-thrush nesting season is still underway. 🧗‍♀️ Whether you're rock climbing, hiking, or picnicking in the countryside this spring, check out Merilli Malta 's article on Climb MT 's webpage about reducing disturbance to nesting Blue rock-thrushes. 🔗 Link in the comments below! ⚠️ Importantly, if you notice a nest, don't hang around it. You may be perceived as a threat by the feeding parents. The Blue Rock-thrush is a protected species, and the manipulation of birds or nests by unlicenced persons, apart from being illegal, can have a negative impact. 👇🇲🇹 🐣 Filwaqt li l-Għid ilu li għadda, il-Merilli għadom għaddejjin bl-istaġun tal-bejta! 🧗‍♀️ Sew jekk qed tqatta' r-rebbiegħa tixxabbat, sew jekk erħejtilha għall-mixi, u sew jekk sejrin għal picnics fil kampanja, l-artiklu ta' @merillimalta fuq is-sit elettroniku ta' @climbmt.malta jgħidlek x'għandek tagħmel biex ma tisfruttax bejta tal-Merilli. 🔗 Sib il-ħolqa fil-kummenti t'hawn taħt! ⚠️ Importanti li nsostnu li jekk tiskopru bejta m'għandkomx tibqgħu viċin tagħha. Il-ġenituri li jkunu qed iżoqqu l-flieles jaf jaħsbuk theddida. Il-Merill huwa speċi protett u l-manipulazzjoni ta' għasafar jew bejtiet minn nies mhux liċenzjati, aparti li huwa kontra l-liġi, jaf jagħmlilhom il-ħsara. by @merillimalta
1
5 months ago
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