The birds The number of species recorded in Malta is 375 with a great number of vagrants. 200 is more or less the number recorded annually. If one wants to bird watch in Malta timing is of the utmost importance. Few birds breed on Malta so summer is pretty quiet. Some birds winter in Malta but these are generally the commoner species.
Weather is also a determining factor.
This may result in a dream day full of birds or not a single feather for the record. Breeding species are few mainly because of human persecution mostly hunting, trapping, and destruction of habitat. The Peregrine, Barn owl and Jackdaw are examples of species that used to breed but have been extirpated. It is during migration that things get going and many species, occasionally in large numbers pass through. Both the spring and autumn passages are of interest.