Records in Malta of European Storm-petrels Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis during the breeding season away from known breeding sites

Abstract

The Mediterranean sub-species of the European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis is a localised common breeding visitor with two known contemporary breeding colonies in the Maltese Islands: Filfla islet (5,000-8,000 bp) and Ta‘ Cenc cliffs in Gozo (>25bp) (Borg & Sultana 1992-1994; Borg & Sultana 2002; Raine et al, 2009). Schembri (1843) was informed that the storm-petrel breeds only on the island of Filfla, while Wright (1864) stated that the species is sedentary and very common on the south side of the islands, and also breeds on Filfla. Despott (1916) believed that it could ‗be met with all around the Maltese islands‘. Fifteen years later he noted that it was becoming rare on the mainland (Despott 1932-34). Both Wright and Despott failed to mention any localities on the main islands. This paper deals with sightings in the Maltese islands of European Storm-petrel outside the known breeding areas (between the period 1968 to 2010) and discusses their significance. Rdum tal-Madonna was the focus of an intensive four year study on Yelkouan Shearwaters as part of an EU LIFE Project that started in 2007 (Borg et al. 2010). Sightings from this locality are treated separately from those recorded at other sites.