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Other Seabird Species in Malta

Other seabird species

Malta is also internationally important for two other species of pelagic seabirds, Corys Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) and European Storm Petrels (Hydrobates pelagicus). The LIFE project aims to ensure that the recommendations for Marine Special Protection Areas will also benefit these species.

Cory’s shearwater

To find out more about Cory’s shearwaters, click here.

Cory's Shearwater
- A. Raine

Storm petrels

The offshore islet of Filfla holds one of the largest colonies of Storm-petrels in the Mediterranean (5000-8000 pairs). For the first time, the EU LIFE project has obtained evidence that the storm petrels are now going to the project site of Rdum tal-Madonna from Filfla, with one bird caught in June 2007 that had been ringed in the same month on Filfla.

European Storm Petrel
- A. Raine

Gulls and others

The only gull breeding in Malta is the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) with a population of 250 pairs on Filfla Island and small scattered colonies on Malta and Gozo. However, many other migrant and wintering seabird species spend time in Maltese waters. Regular winter visitors are the Black-headed (Larus ridibundus) and Mediterranean (L. melanocephalus) gull which flock in their hundreds on stormy days. Other gull species, terns and skuas also occur. Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) and Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) are regular offshore during the winter months. Members of the auk family such as Puffins (Fratercula arctica) and Razorbills (Alca torda) are only rarely encountered.