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A bird’s-eye view on migration
bee-eaters
Photo: Heritage Malta
Animal migration, particularly birds, will be the subject of Heritage Malta’s next webinar, to be live-streamed on Facebook on Wednesday, 26 May, at 6:30pm. John J. Borg, Heritage Malta’s Senior Curator for Natural History and an ornithologist with more than 35 years’ experience, will delve into this phenomenon that occurs twice a year and that has enthralled Man since ancient times, as attested by various artefacts left by our ancestors at our neolithic sites.
In spite of this fascination, it was relatively recently that Man started to figure out birds’ provenance as well as their next destination when migrating.
marsh harrier
Photo: Heritage Malta
Describing the migrating preferences of different bird species – over land or sea, during daytime or at night – Mr Borg will also outline the various hardships that birds endure during their arduous journey and the long distances covered, which vary according to species.
The webinar, which is free of charge, will touch on the history of bird ringing and how it was introduced in Malta, and will include a bird ringing demonstration. Useful information about ideal spots from where to observe bird movements will also be given. The webinar will include a question and answer session, and will be delivered in Maltese but will have English subtitles. Participants who would like to put their questions to Mr Borg need to register beforehand via this link.
