EURING Newsletter - Volume 2, December 1998

THE EURING COMMUNITY:
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NATIONAL SCHEMES

This new section will offer an opportunity to introduce the national ringing schemes, their history, developments, present and future activities. A more detailed knowledge of the different national realities will also further contribute to the exchange of experiences and ideas within the EURING community. Joe Sultana reports here on the Valletta Bird Ringing Scheme and its very active and highly motivated ringers.

THE VALLETTA RINGING SCHEME

By Joe Sultana

BIRD RINGING SCHEME BIRDLIFE MALTA, P.O.BOX 498, VALLETTA CMR 01, MALTA
(Email: diomedea@waldonet.net.mt)

The Valletta Bird Ringing Scheme, which is run by BirdLife Malta (formerly Malta Ornithological Society), a non-government organisation, was established in 1965 with the help of the British Trust for Ornithology, whose rings were used for the first ten years. The scheme's Malta addressed rings were launched in October 1976.

The scheme is run on a voluntary basis by a committee appointed by BirdLife Malta's Council and presently has 14 licensed ringers, who pay for the rings they use. Ringers have to be in possession of a police bird-ringing licence. The bird protection regulations in Malta stipulate, amongst other things, that to acquire a police bird-ringing licence one must have a training certificate and approval from a ringing scheme which is recognised by EURING.

The average number of birds ringed per year in the past five years is 13,000 with an annual average of 100 species ringed and about 50 recoveries, 10 of which are foreign. The birds ringed are mainly passerines with the Swallow Hirundo rustica, Robin Erithacus rubecula and in some years Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita topping the list. A ringing newsletter is published bimonthly, while a general ringing report appears in BirdLife Malta's ornithological journal Il-Merill. The latter is sent to all ringing schemes.

Until last year all ringing, recovery and biometrics data were logged manually. But this year, with the help of the Bologna ringing scheme, we started computerising our ringing data. BirdLife Malta appears on the Internet and in the near future we hope to start including some local ringing information.

Ringing in Malta has to be carried out in a hostile environment for birds. Due to the widespread killing and trapping of birds bird ringing in Malta faces several difficulties and some good areas for migratory birds, which used to be very productive, cannot be tackled due to harassment from hunters and trappers.

In spite of these difficulties long-term ringing studies have been carried out on some species including the Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea and the European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus. A constant ringing effort has been maintained at Ghadira nature reserve and since 1996 has also started at is-Simar nature reserve. The scheme continues to take part successfully in the Progetto Piccole Isole on the island of Comino in spring while since 1997 the scheme actively participates in the Swallow project.

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