The following is the species checklist of the birds recorded in
Malta. All species listed are officially accepted.
The status is also given. The species, the sequence and the scientific
nomenclature all follow those adopted for
the new Concise Edition of the Birds of the Western Palearctic. English
names are those adopted by British
Birds in 1993.
Status abbreviations
R = resident and definitely breeding
r = rare breeding resident
S = summer migrant and breeding visitor
s = uncommon summer migrant and breeding visitor
WV = common winter visitor
wv = uncommon winter visitor
PM = common passage migrant
pm = uncommon passage migrant
v = vagrant
e = extinct as breeding resident
SPECIES CHECKLIST
___ Red-Throated Diver Gavia stellata v
___ Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis pm,
wv
___ Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus PM, wv
___ Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis PM,
wv
___ Cory`s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea S, PM
___ Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus v
___ Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus v
___ Levantine Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan S, pm
___ European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus S
___ Leach`s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa v
___ Northern Gannet Morus bassanus pm, wv
___ Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo PM, wv
___ Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis v
___ White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus v
___ Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris pm
___ Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus PM, s
___ Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax PM
___ Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides PM
___ Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis v
___ Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis v
___ Little Egret Agretta garzetta PM, wv
___ Great White Egret Egretta alba pm
___ Grey Heron Ardea cinerea PM, wv
___ Purple Heron Ardea purpurea PM
___ Black Stork Ciconia nigra pm
___ White Stork Ciconia ciconia pm
___ Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus PM
___ Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia pm
___ Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber pm
___ Mute Swan Cygnus olor v
___ Bean Goose Anser fabalis v
___ White-Fronted Goose Anser albifrons v
___ Greylag Goose Anser anser pm, wv
___ Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus v
___ Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea v
___ Shelduck Tadorna tadorna PM, wv
___ Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope PM, wv
___ Falcated Duck Anas falcata v
___ Gadwall Anas strepera pm, wv
___ Baikal Teal Anas formosa v
___ Teal Anas crecca pm, wv
___ Mallard Anas platyrhynchos pm, wv
___ Pintail Anas acuta PM, wv
___ Garganey Anas querquedula PM
___ Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata PM, wv
___ Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris v
___ Red-Crested Pochard Netta rufina v
___ Pochard Aythya ferina pm, wv
___ Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca pm
___ Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula v
___ Scaup Aythya marila v
___ Common Scoter Melanitta nigra v
___ Goldeneye Bucephala clangula v
___ Smew Mergus albellus v
___ Red-Breasted Merganser Mergus serrator pm, wv
___ Goosander Mergus merganser v
___ White-Headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala v
___ European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus PM
___ Black Kite Milvus migrans PM
___ Red Kite Milvus milvus v
___ White-Tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla v
___ Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus pm
___ Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus v
___ Short-Toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus pm
___ Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus PM
___ Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus pm
___ Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus pm
___ Montagu`s Harrier Circus pygargus PM
___ Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus pm
___ Common Buzzard Buteo buteo pm
___ Rough-Legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus v
___ Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina pm
___ Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos v
___ Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus pm
___ Osprey Pandion haliaetus PM
___ Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni PM
___ Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus PM, wv
___ American Kestrel Falco sparverius v
___ Red-Footed Falcon Falco vespertinus PM
___ Merlin Falco columbarius pm
___ Hobby Falco subbuteo PM
___ Eleonora`s Falcon Falco eleonorae PM
___ Sooty Falcon Falco concolor v
___ Lanner Falco biarmicus v
___ Saker Falco cherrug pm
___ Peregrine Falco peregrinus r, pm
___ Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides v
___ Common Quail Coturnix coturnix PM
___ Water Rail Rallus aquaticus PM, wv
___ Spotted Crake Porzana porzana pm, wv
___ Little Crake Porzana parva pm, wv
___ Baillon`s Crake Porzana pusilla pm
___ Corncrake Crex crex pm
___ Moorhen Gallinula chloropus PM, R,
___ Allen`s Gallinule Porphyrula alleni v
___ Common Coot Fulica atra PM, WV
___ Crested Coot Fulica cristata v
___ Common Crane Grus grus PM
___ Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo v
___ Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax v
___ Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata v
___ Great Bustard Otis tarda v
___ Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus PM
___ Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus PM
___ Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta pm
___ Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus pm, e
___ Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor pm
___ Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola pm
___ Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius PM, r
___ Great Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula PM
___ Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus pm
___ Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii v
___ Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus v
___ Dotterel Charadrius morinellus PM
___ Lesser Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica v
___ European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria PM, WV
___ Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola pm
___ Spur-winged Plover Hoplopterus spinosus v
___ Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria v
___ White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura v
___ Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus PM, WV
___ Red Knot Calidris canutus v
___ Sanderling Calidris alba pm
___ Little Stint Calidris minuta PM
___ Temminck`s Stint Calidris temminckii pm
___ Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos v
___ Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea PM
___ Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima v
___ Dunlin Calidris alpina PM, wv
___ Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus v
___ Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis v
___ Ruff Philomachus pugnax PM
___ Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus pm
___ Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago PM, wv
___ Great Snipe Gallinago media pm
___ Woodcock Scolopax rusticola PM, wv
___ Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa PM
___ Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica v
___ Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus pm
___ Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris v
___ Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata PM
___ Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda v
___ Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus PM
___ Redshank Tringa totanus PM, wv
___ Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis pm
___ Greenshank Tringa nebularia PM
___ Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus PM
___ Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola PM
___ Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus v
___ Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos PM, wv
___ Turnstone Arenaria interpres pm
___ Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus v
___ Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius v
___ Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus pm
___ Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus v
___ Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus v
___ Great Skua Stercorarius skua pm
___ Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus v
___ Mediterranean Gull Larus melanochephalus PM, WV
___ Little Gull Larus minutus pm, wv
___ Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus PM, WV
___ Slender-billed Gull Larus genei pm
___ Audouin`s Gull Larus audouinii v
___ Common Gull Larus canus v
___ Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus PM, wv
___ Herring Gull Larus argentatus pm
___ Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans R, PM, WV
___ Glaucous Gull Larus hperboreus v
___ Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla v
___ Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica PM
___ Caspian Tern Sterna caspia PM
___ Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis PM, wv
___ Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii v
___ Common Tern Sterna hirundo v
___ Little Tern Sterna albifrons pm
___ Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus pm
___ Black Tern Chlidonias niger PM
___ White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus pm
___ Common Guillemot Uria aalge v
___ Razorbill Alca torda v
___ Little Auk Alle alle v
___ Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica v
___ Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis v
___ Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata v
___ Rock Dove Columba livia r, pm
___ Stock Dove Columba oenas pm
___ Woodpigeon Columba palumbus pm, wv
___ Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto v
___ Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur PM, s
___ Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis v
___ Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius pm
___ Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus PM, s
___ Barn Owl Tyto alba r, pm
___ Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops PM, wv
___ Little Owl Athene noctua v
___ Long-eared Owl Asio otus pm
___ Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus PM, wv
___ European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus PM
___ Red-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus ruficollis v
___ Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius v
___ Needle-tailed Swift Hirundapus caudacutus v
___ Common Swift Apus apus PM, s
___ Pallid Swift Apus pallidus pm
___ White-rumped Swift Apus caffer v
___ Alpine Swift Apus melba PM
___ Little Swift Apus affinis v
___ Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis PM, wv
___ Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater Merops superciliosus v
___ European Bee-Eater Merops apiaster PM, e
___ European Roller Coracias garrulus pm
___ Hoopoe Upupa epops PM
___ Wryneck Jynx torquilla PM, wv
___ Green Woodpecker Picus viridis v
___ Bar-tailed Desert Lark Ammomanes cincturus v
___ Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes v
___ Dupont`s Lark Chersophilus duponti v
___ Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra pm
___ White-Winged Lark Melanocorypha leucoptera v
___ Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis v
___ Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla PM, S
___ Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens v
___ Crested Lark Galerida cristata v
___ Woodlark Lullula arborea pm
___ Skylark Alauda arvensis PM, WV
___ Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris v
___ Temminck`s Horned Lark Eremophila bilopha v
___ Sand Martin Riparia riparia PM
___ Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris pm
___ Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica PM, s, wv
___ Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica pm
___ House Martin Delichon urbica PM, s
___ Richard`s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae pm
___ Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris PM, s
___ Olive-Backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni v
___ Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis PM
___ Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis PM, WV
___ Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus PM, wv
___ Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta pm, wv
___ Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus pm, wv
___ Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava PM
___ Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea PM, WV
___ White Wagtail Motacilla alba PM, WV
___ Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus v
___ Dipper Cinclus cinclus v
___ Wren Troglodytes troglodytes pm, wv
___ Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis PM, wv
___ Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris pm
___ Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin Cercotrichas galactotes
pm
___ Robin Erithacus rubecula PM, WV, s
___ Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia v
___ Rufous Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos PM, s
___ Bluethroat Luscinia svecica PM, wv
___ Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros PM, WV
___ Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus PM
___ Moussier`s Redstart Phoenicurus moussieiri v
___ Whinchat Saxicola rubetra PM
___ Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata PM, WV
___ Isabelline Wheater Oenanthe isabellina pm
___ Northern Wheater Oenanthe oenanthe PM, wv
___ Pied Wheater Oenanthe pleschanka v
___ Black-eared Wheater Oenanthe hispanica PM, s
___ Desert Wheater Oenanthe deserti v
___ White-Crowned Black Wheater Oenanthe leucopyga v
___ Black Wheater Oenanthe leucura v
___ Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis PM
___ Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius R
___ Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica v
___ Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus pm
___ Blackbird Turdus merula PM, wv
___ Eye-browed Thrush Turdus obscurus v
___ Fieldfare Turdus pilaris PM, wv
___ Song Thrush Turdus philomelos PM, WV
___ Redwing Turdus iliacus pm, wv
___ Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus pm
___ Cetti`s Warbler Cettia cetti R
___ Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis R
___ Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia v
___ River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis v
___ Savi`s Warbler Locustella lusciniodes pm
___ Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon pm
___ Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola v
___ Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus PM
___ Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola v
___ Blyth`s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum v
___ Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris pm
___ Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus PM, s
___ Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus PM
___ Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida pm
___ Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina PM
___ Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta v
___ Marmora`s Warbler Sylvia sarda v
___ Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata pm, wv
___ Tristram`s Warbler Sylvia deserticola v
___ Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata R
___ Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans PM
___ Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala R, pm
___ Ruppell`s Warbler Sylvia rueppelli pm
___ Desert Warbler Sylvia nana v
___ Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis v
___ Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria v
___ Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca pm
___ Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis PM
___ Garden Warbler Sylvia borin PM
___ Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla PM, WV
___ Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis v
___ Pallas`s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus v
___ Yellow-Browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus v
___ Radde`s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi v
___ Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus v
___ Western Bonelli`s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli pm
___ Eastern Bonelli`s Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis
pm
___ Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix PM
___ Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita PM, WV
___ Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus PM
___ Goldcrest Regulus regulus PM, wv
___ Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus PM, wv
___ Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata PM, s
___ Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva pm
___ Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata v
___ Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis PM
___ Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca PM
___ Blue Tit Parus caeruleus v
___ Great Tit Parus major v
___ Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria v
___ Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus pm
___ Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus PM
___ Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio PM, s
___ Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor pm
___ Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor pm
___ Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator PM, s
___ Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus v
___ Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius v
___ Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula e
___ Rook Corvus frugilegus v
___ Carrion Crow Corvus corone v
___ Raven Corvus corax v
___ Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris PM, WV, s
___ Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor v
___ Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus v
___ Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis R
___ Tree Sparrow Passer montanus R, WV
___ Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia v
___ Snow Finch Montifringilla nivalis v
___ Red-Eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus v
___ Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs PM, wv, s
___ Brambling Fringilla montifringilla pm
___ European Serin Serinus serinus Pm, wv, s
___ Greenfinch Carduelis chloris PM, wv, s
___ Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis pm
___ Siskin Carduelis spinus pm
___ Linnet Carduelis cannabina PM, WV, s
___ Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea v
___ Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra v
___ Trumpeter Bullfinch Bucanetes githaginea pm
___ Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus v
___ Common Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula v
___ Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes PM
___ Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus v
___ Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis v
___ Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephala v
___ Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella v
___ Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus v
___ Rock Bunting Emberiza cia v
___ Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana pm
___ Cretzschmar`s Bunting Emberiza caesia v
___ Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica v
___ Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla v
___ Chestnut Bunting Emberiza rutila v
___ Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola v
___ Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus PM, wv
___ Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala v
___ Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra R, PM
___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus v