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Quails, T'Knees, Pratincoles, Cursors, Nightjars & Cuckoos
Quail
Common Quail
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually or in pairs during breeding. Multiple birds can be flushed simultaneously.
Seldom seen, often heard. Very small, compact bird with secretive behaviour. Heavily striated brown upperparts and paler belly. Males with black throat or black throat-band. Only the male shows different pale or rufous morphs. Appears long-winged when flying, with a straight and low line of flight.
Diet
Quails are foraging birds that live in shrub/bush lands in the wild. Their diet consists of insects, grains, seeds and sometimes berries.
Longevity record
14 years 7 months (A shot bird in Slovakia, K 261152)
Summiena
Coturnix coturnix
Galliformes
Phasianidae
Fairly common
Usually seen in
March - April, September - October
Occasionally seen in
February, May, August, November
Click on the image to open slideshow
1/6
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
16 - 18
32 - 35
70 - 155
Little Bustard
Little Bustard
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually.
Small bustard about the seize of female pheasant. Stocky body, small head, slender neck and fairly long legs. Male: Grey head, black neck with two white rings, finely vermiculated upperparts and white underparts. Odd short p7 in male. Female lacks black neck and all upperparts are a vermiculated sandy brown. Young and non-breeding males similar to females, but often with a hint of white breast-band and more clearly defined white underparts. Flushed birds take off in noisy, grouse-like manner with rapid wing-beats and interspersed short glides on bowed wings. Longer flight with quick wing-beats mostly below level of back.
Diet
Seeds, insects, rodents and reptiles. Like other bustards, the male little bustard has a flamboyant display with foot stamping and leaping in the air.
Longevity record
10 years (average)
Usually seen in
October - November
Occasionally seen in
March - April, September, December
Click on the image to open slideshow
1/0
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
40 - 45
83 - 91
680 - 975
Tellerita
Eurasian Stone-curlew
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually or in small groups.
It is also found as the 'Eurasian Thick-knee'.
Mostly nocturnal and easily overlooked at daytime when resting. Runs for cover with hunched posture if disturbed. Easily identified in flight by dark wing with white window, long tail and trailing toes. Betrays it's presence at dusk when groups of birds often starts calling and moving about.
Diet
Food consists of insects and other small invertebrates, and occasionally small reptiles, frogs and rodents.
Longevity record
17 years 10 months (Found dead by car accident in the UK, ED 41923)
Usually seen in
March - May, September - October
Occasionally seen in
June, November
Click on the image to open slideshow
1/22
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
38 - 45
76 - 88
290 - 535
Cream-coloured courser
Cream-coloured Courser
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually or in pairs. Around 30 known records as from 2010.
These birds have long legs and long wings. They have slightly downcurved bills. The body plumage is sandy in colour, fading to whitish on the lower belly. The upperwing primary feathers and the underwings are black. The crown and nape are grey, and there is a black eyestripe and white supercilium.
In flight, this species resembles a pratincole with its relaxed wingbeats, pointed wings and dark underwings.
Diet
Cream-coloured Coursers usually feeds on insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, ants and flies. It also consumes molluscs and isopods (a kind of crustacean with flat body and all similar legs). It also feeds on seeds.
Longevity record
-
Nankina
Cursorius cursor
Charadriiformes
Glareolidae
Very rare
Usually seen in
March, June - July
Occasionally seen in
January - February, April - May, August - September
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1/0
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
24 - 27
51 - 57
93 - 156
Collared Pratincole
Collared Pratincole
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually.
Slightly smaller than Golden Plover with much slender appearance. Only likely to be confused with other pratincoles, but diagnostic field marks often difficult to see. Tail streamers longer than wing-tips and base of bill with more red (in breeding plumage). Sexes alike. Lacks black necklace in winter plumage. Immature birds are similar to winter-plumaged adults, but with additional scaly upperparts. Often confusing at first glance when in flight, due to tern-like, acrobatic flight not resembling other waders.
Diet
Insects
Longevity record
-
Perniċotta
Glareola pratincola
Charadriiformes
Glareolidae
Very rare
Usually seen in
March - May, September
Occasionally seen in
July, October - November
Click on the image to open slideshow
1/7
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
24 - 28
60 - 70
60 - 100
European nightjar
European Nightjar
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually but multiple individuals can be seen flying simultaneously.
Falcon or cuckoo-like, nocturnal bird with long tail and slender, pointed wings. Unmistakable when seen in areas where no other species of nightjars occur, or when singing. If plumage is seen clearly, note general tone (grey brown), dark front edge of arm, broader upper wing-bar and small white throat patch.
Diet
The Nightjar's diet is made up of invertebrates, including moths, flies and beetles.
Longevity record
11 years 11 months (UK, XJ 86805)
Buqrajq
Caprimulgus europaeus
Caprimulgiformes
Caprimulgidae
Fairly common
Usually seen in
April - May, September - October
Occasionally seen in
March, June, August, November
Click on the image to open slideshow
1/6
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
24 - 28
52 - 59
56 - 85
Egyptian Nightjar
Egyptian Nightjar
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually.
Its plumage is much paler than the European Nightjar. The adult is sand-colours, barred and streaked with buff and brown. The under parts are sandy or whitish. It is smaller, but relatively longer-winged and longer-tailed than the more widespread species. Like other nightjars, it has a wide gape, long wings, soft downy plumage and nocturnal habits. The male has tiny white wing spots.
Diet
The Nightjar's diet is made up of invertebrates, including moths, flies and beetles.
Longevity record
11 years
Usually seen in
-
Occasionally seen in
March - April, November
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1/0
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
24 - 27
53 - 58
70 - 90
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually or in pairs.
This species is slightly larger than the common cuckoo in length, but looks much larger with its broad wings and long narrow tail. The adult is grey above with a slender body, long tail and strong legs. It has a grey cap, grey wings, a yellowish face and upper breast, and white underparts. Sexes are similar. The juveniles have blackish upperparts and cap, and chestnut primary wing feathers. This species has a magpie-like flight. It is a bird of warm open country with trees.
Diet
It feeds on insects, spiders, small reptiles and hairy caterpillars, which are distasteful to many birds.
Longevity record
-
Sultan il-Gamiem tat-Toppu
Clamator glandarius
Cuculiformes
Cuculidae
Rare
Usually seen in
February - April
Occasionally seen in
May - July, August - September
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1/0
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
35 - 39
58 - 66
140 - 210
Common Cuckoo
Common Cuckoo
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually.
Slate grey upperparts with barred white underparts. Female and juvenile sometimes rufous brown. Male with defined grey breast in contrast to barred white belly, female with diffusely barred chest and throat. Yellow iris and thin bill. Wings and tail long and slender, often giving the impression of a small falcon. Often perches with a more horizontal posture than hawks or falcons, i.e. tail pointing backwards and not towards the ground, and drooping wings. In flight wings are not raise above horizontal plane, and it seldom glides like raptors.
Diet
It feeds on insects, spiders, small reptiles and hairy caterpillars, which are distasteful to many birds.
Longevity record
12 years 11 months (Found dead in Germany, 6023421)
Sultan il-Gamiem
Cuculus canorus
Cuculiformes
Cuculidae
Fairly common
Usually seen in
March - May, August - October
Occasionally seen in
June - July, November
Click on the image to open slideshow
Female rufous morph (23-04-17)
1/21
Length (cm):
Wingspan (cm):
Weight (g):
32 - 36
54 - 60
80 - 160
*Some information was sourced from ''BirdID Nord University''.
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