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More Than 16,000 White Wagtails Counted at Three Malta Roosts

A white wagtail caught in mid-flight at Kalkara, Malta
Conservation · Population & status

BirdLife Malta counted more than 16,000 white wagtails (Motacilla alba) at three communal winter roosts on 17 January 2026. This was a one-evening count of those three roosts, not an estimate of Malta’s total winter population. The species migrates to Malta from northern Europe for the winter, and the largest gathering was recorded in central Valletta.

Observers counted 13,686 birds in Valletta, where the wagtails settled in mature Ficus trees near St John’s Co-Cathedral and the Law Courts. A further 923 were recorded in Mosta and 1,712 in Buġibba.

BirdLife Malta has counted the main Valletta roost every year since 1985. During the 2026 survey, volunteers were positioned at strategic points around the capital to record birds arriving from different directions. The organisation published the results on 22 January.

BirdLife Malta says the mature Ficus trees are essential winter roosting habitat and recommends avoiding pruning between October and March. The organisation is also asking for similar protection at other gathering sites in Malta and Gozo, pointing to recent local support for roost trees in Mosta.

Sources and image credit

  1. BirdLife Malta. (2026, January 22). Over 16,000 White Wagtails roost at three locations in Malta.Primary monitoring report. BirdLife Malta counted the three roosts on 17 January 2026: 13,686 white wagtails in Valletta, 923 in Mosta and 1,712 in Buġibba, for a total of 16,326. The report also documents annual monitoring of the Valletta roost since 1985, the 2026 public event and the recommendation to avoid pruning important roost trees between October and March.

Image: Tranceliner — white wagtail (Motacilla alba) photographed in flight at Kalkara, Malta, on 5 February 2026; a Maltese winter image relevant to the January roost count. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Representative image for this story; not presented as an animal or scene from the reported study or event. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

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