The Merilli Malta research project is inviting nature photographers and naturalists to participate in a citizen-science initiative to study Malta’s national bird – the Blue Rock-thrush.
Merilli Malta is a bird-ringing project, led by professional ornithologists Dr Benjamin Metzger and Dr Marie Claire Gatt, studying the Blue Rock-thrush’s ecology while increasing public appreciation towards the species and its habitats. ‘Merill’ is the Maltese name for the Blue Rock-thrush (Monticola solitarius). This emblematic bird with a melodious song is common in cliffs and valleys but increasingly also in towns and cities across the Maltese Islands. While the species can be found across Europe and Asia, not much is known about its ecology. This long-term scientific project aims to uncover how and when Blue Rock-thrushes move around the islands over the annual cycle, the sizes of territories that they defend during the year, as well as implications of the species’ increasing urban presence.
Since 2022, the project has equipped over 200 Blue Rock-thrushes with individually coded colour-rings. These rings can be read through a telephoto camera lens or telescope, meaning that information on individually-recognisable birds can be obtained without the need to recapture them, amounting in a lot more data with which to answer important biological questions. So far, the project has uncovered that Blue Rock-thrushes form long-term pairs and defend distinct territories over several years, and that despite high territoriality there can be several breeding pairs in relatively small areas.
The participation of the general public in the collection of data enhances the size of the dataset and its effectiveness for research goals. Since the Blue Rock-thrush is a charismatic and locally widespread bird, it is an ideal candidate for a citizen-science study using colour-ringing. Merilli Malta is inviting bird-watchers, photographers, and nature lovers to participate by photographing Blue Rock-thrushes and submitting photos of colour-ringed birds, together with the place and time of the observation, on the project’s dedicated online platform: https://www.merillimalta.org/report-a-sighting
On submitting photos, participants will be sent the history of the Blue Rock-thrush photographed.
In Europe, colour-ringing is coordinated by EURING. All bird-ringing in the project is carried out by trained and licensed professionals using materials purposely made for the study of wild birds.
Merilli Malta is part-funded by the Malta Environment Foundation and collaborates with local environmental NGOs Friends of the Earth Malta and BirdLife Malta, as well as the Malta Rock Climbing Club and ClimbMT. More information can be found on the project website www.merillimalta.org and on its social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Merilli Malta: Stedina għall-parteċipazzjoni tal-pubbliku fir-riċerka tal-Merill
Il-proġett ta’ riċerka Merilli Malta qed jistieden lill-fotografi tan-natura u naturalisti sabiex jipparteċipaw f’inizzjattiva ta’ xjenza mill-pubbliku biex jiġi studjat l-għasfur nazzjonali ta’ Malta – il-Merill.
Merilli Malta huwa proġett ta’ bird ringing immexxi mill-ornitoloġisti professjonali Dr Bejnamin Metzger u Dr Marie Claire Gatt li qed jistudja l-ekoloġija tal-Merill filwaqt li jżid l-apprezzament tal-pubbliku lejn din l-ispeċi u l-abitati tagħha. Il-Merill (Monticola solitarius) huwa għasfur emblematiku b’għanja melodjuża li jgħammar fl-irdum u l-widien, kif ukoll fl-irħula u l-ibliet madwar il-Gżejjer Maltin. Minkejja li l-ispeċi hija mifruxa madwar l-Ewropa u l-Asja hemm nuqqas ta’ għarfien dwar l-ekoloġija tagħha. Dan il-proġett xjentifiku fuq medda twila ta’ żmien għandu l-għan li jiskopri kif u meta il-Merilli jimirħu madwar il-Gżejjer Maltin, id-daqs tat-territorji li jiddefendu tul is-sena, kif ukoll implikazzjonijiet tal-preżenza urbana dejjem tikber tal-ispeċi.
Mill-2022, ‘l fuq minn 200 Merill ġew imlibbsa ċurkett tal-kulur b’kodigu uniku. Dawn iċ-ċrieket jistgħu jinqraw mill-bogħod bl-użu ta’ kamera b’lenti telephoto jew b’teleskopju. Dan jippermetti l-ġbir ta’ volum kbir ta’ informazzjoni dwar għasafar li jistgħu jintgħarfu individwalment mingħajr ma’ jiġu maqbuda sabiex jitwieġbu mistoqsijiet bijoloġiċi importanti. S’issa, l-proġett skopra kif pari ta’ Merilli jibqgħu flimkien u jiddefendu territorji distinti għal diversi snin, kif ukoll in-numru kbir ta’ pari bil-bejta li kapaċi jinsabu f’żoni relattivament żgħar minkejja t-territorjalità qawwija li jesibixxu.
Il-parteċipazzjoni tal-pubbliku data tirriżulta f’ammont ikbar ta’ informazzjoni li tista’ tinġabar għal fini ta’ riċerka. Il-Merill huwa speċi kariżmatika b’firxa wiesa madwar il-Gżejjer Maltin, u dan jagħmlu ideali għal proġett ta’ xjenza mill-pubbliku bl-użu tal-‘colour-ringing’. Il-proġett Merilli Malta qed jistieden lill-birdwatchers, lill-fotografi, u lil dawk li jħobbu d-dinja naturali sabiex jipparteċipaw billi jiġbdu ritratti ta’ Merilli lebsin ċrieket tal-kulur, flimkien mal-post u l-ħin tal-osservazzjoni, fuq pjattaforma online: https://www.merillimalta.org/report-a-sighting
Mas-sottomissjoni tar-ritratti, il-parteċipanti jintbgħatu l-istorja tal-Merill li jkunu raw.
Fl-Ewropa, il-colour-ringing huwa kkoordinat mill-EURING. Ir-ringing fi ħdan il-proġett isir esklussivament minn professjonisti liċenzjati u l-materjali li jintużaw huma kollha magħmulin għall-użu ta’ riċerka ta’ għasafar slavaġ.
Merilli Malta huwa kofinanzjat mill-Malta Environment Foundation u jikkolabora mal-għaqdiet ambjentali Friends of the Earth u BirdLife Malta, kif ukoll mal-Malta Rock Climbing Club u ClimbMT. Iktar informazzjoni jinsab fuq is-sit elettroniku www.merillimalta.org u fuq il-paġni tal-media soċjali fuq Facebook u Instagram.