How a turtle dove tagged in Malta ended up in Ukraine

A wild turtle dove that was satellite-tagged in Malta in May 2023, headed straight into the Ukrainian warzone until contact with the bird was lost over Moldova. 

The bird was one of 20 turtle doves captured in Malta since 2021 as part of a satellite tagging study by Kaċċaturi San Ubertu (KSU), a hunting organisation, overseen by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit. 

This particular bird was captured, tagged and released in Malta on 18 May 2023 and travelled to the south of the city of Split in Croatia. The signal was lost on 21 June but on 18 July it started transmitting again from Ukraine through its GSM antenna. The turtle dove then travelled through Romania and onto Moldova from where the signal stopped transmitting on 31 August. 

This bird’s particular journey was peculiar because it indicated an unfamiliar route for wild turtle doves migrating over Malta. A handful of other birds in the study also travelled along unorthodox routes further east to Bulgaria and Turkey. 

Although the study author, Mark Bonello, argued that the data needs to be strengthened with other studies, the results suggest that “certain birds moved to areas previously unknown to have any connection to migration over Malta”. 

The study started in 2021 after the ORNIS Committee recommended its approval by the authorities. Having started late, only one turtle dove was captured in May 2021. This was satellite-tagged and released. 

The following year, 12 turtle doves were captured using traditional trapping methods over April and May. These were tagged and released immediately back to the wild. One of these turtle doves was shot in Malta (during the spring hunting season) and the tag returned. 

Meanwhile, in April and May 2023, 8 turtle doves were captured, tagged and released. 

The birds were tracked via satellite using GPS technology and in those cases where the satellite signal was lost, the devices still recorded flight data using a GSM antenna, which served as a backup. 

The tag is a small device weighing 5g and is held in place on the bird’s back by a harness. 

Mark Mifsud Bonnici, president KSU, told MaltaToday the study is part of the organisation’s efforts to collect scientific data related to migration patterns for turtle dove. 

“The European Commission constantly tells us there is not enough data about migration over Malta; this is an effort to try and fill that gap and within its limitations the study has given us invaluable information we were not privy to such as migratory links with countries in eastern Europe such as Bulgaria, Ukraine and Turkey,” he said. 

Turtle doves migrating northward over Malta in spring normally end up in Italy and Hungary – 13 of the 20 birds were tracked over Sicily and the Italian mainland. However, the study also suggests linkages with Albania, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. 

Mifsud Bonnici said KSU has obtained private funding for another 20 satellite tags to continue the project this year. “If approved, the project will help us capture more data to build a comprehensive picture of turtle dove migration,” he said. 

Ornis to decide today whether study should be extended  

A decision by the Ornis Committee whether to extend the KSU’s project for the next couple of months is expected later today. 

The turtle dove was declared a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2015. 

Between 2017 and 2021 Malta adopted a moratorium on spring hunting of turtle dove, allowing hunters to shoot only on a limited number of quail. 

However, the moratorium on turtle dove hunting was lifted in 2022 and since then hunters have been able to capture limited numbers of the vulnerable bird. 

Spring hunting is outlawed by the EU’s Birds’ Directive; however, Malta has every year applied a derogation for a limited hunt on quail and turtle dove after a European Court ruling that argued there was no suitable alternative.