Black-winged stilts hatch at Ghadira

Three black-winged stilt chicks from one of three nests at the Għadira Nature Reserve made their first appearance today. BirdLife Said in a statement that, as soon as they hatched, the chicks left their nest and walked around by the water’s edge. Staff expect the eggs being incubated by the second and third pairs of stilts to hatch by next week. This is the second year on record that these wading birds have bred in the Maltese Islands. One pair successfully raised three chicks in Għadira in 2011. It is possible that some of the birds breeding in the reserve this year were hatched at Ghadira two years ago. Other birds that have established themselves as regular breeders in the reserves include the Little Ringed Plover at Għadira and the Little Grebe at Simar. On the last weekend of June, BirdLife will open the Għadira reserve from 8.30 to 10.30am for people to see the chicks for themselves.