Hunters spot first-ever Hoopoe breeding in Malta

Two pairs of hoopoes have bred, with each pair raising three young, in the first confirmed breeding records in the Maltese islands. 

Although this year saw fewer Hoopoes than other years, it was observed that quite a good number spent longer periods before migrating north, and a few were seen way past their usual migration period. One pair bred in Gozo, while the other in the south of Malta.

Kaccaturi San Ubertu (KSU) were monitoring another location in the west, but a nest was never confirmed and the activity of the birds was not strong enough to encourage further observation.

Hoopoes show up in considerable numbers during spring and are among the first birds to migrate. They are renowned for immediately tossing in the air and swallowing the food they catch on the spot. 

Hoopoes are renowned for tossing and swallowing the food they catch on the spot. Natalino Fenech

The first pair to fledge were the ones in Gozo, where the birds bred in a crevice in the cliffs at San Blas area. The young, together with their parents, are now being seen flying around Ramla and Nadur areas. 

The second pair bred in the south at about the same time, but the young fledged a few days later.  The birds have now been noticed shifting north of their nesting area and are covering a much wider area than they did while breeding.

Before they fledged, the birds were monitored over several days by ornithologist Dr. Natalino Fenech together with KSU members Marcus Camilleri and Peter Paul Azzopardi, who are both hunters and photographers. The birds were monitored from a distance to ensure they were not disturbed in any way. Although Hoopoes can be very tolerant of people, it was decided not to try and photograph the birds from a close distance to ensure the birds were not disturbed. 

 KSU urged farmers and hunters in the area to keep tracking their movements and encouraged recording such sightings, which are not only important from an ornithological point of view but also to continue to prove that the majority of hunters are responsible and law abiding. 

 Hoopoes appear in considerable numbers in spring, and are among the first migrants; often appearing in February and they keep being seen until May. They appear in smaller numbers from late August to mid-October.