New Merill project lets you turn bird photos into science

A new citizen-science initiative is calling on Malta’s nature enthusiasts to help shed light on the lives of the island’s national bird, the Blue Rock-thrush, known locally as the Merill.

The Merilli Malta project, led by ornithologists Benjamin Metzger and Marie Claire Gatt, is studying the ecology of the Blue Rock-thrush (Monticola solitarius) while encouraging the public to take part in scientific discovery. The project, launched in 2022, combines professional bird-ringing research with public participation to learn more about how these distinctive birds move, breed, and adapt to changing environments across the Maltese Islands.

Although the Blue Rock-thrush is a familiar sight on Malta’s cliffs and valley, and increasingly within urban areas, scientists still know relatively little about its behaviour and ecology. Through the use of colour-ringing, Merilli Malta has already equipped over 200 individual birds with unique identification rings that can be read through photographs or telescopes. This allows researchers to track each bird without the need to capture it again, providing more data and reducing disturbance.

Early findings from the project have revealed that Blue Rock-thrushes form long-term pairs and defend distinct territories over several years. Interestingly, despite their strong territorial instincts, several breeding pairs can coexist in relatively small areas.

To expand its research, the Merilli Malta team is inviting bird-watchers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts to contribute by photographing Blue Rock-thrushes and submitting their sightings along with time and location details via the project’s website at www.merillimalta.org/report-a-sighting. Contributors will receive a history of the bird they photographed, linking citizen observations directly to ongoing scientific study.

Metzger and Gatt said the involvement of the public is key to unlocking a fuller understanding of the Blue Rock-thrush’s life across Malta, noting that collective data from citizen scientists greatly enhances the reach and accuracy of their findings.

All bird-ringing within the project follows European standards set by EURING, and is conducted by licensed professionals using materials designed specifically for wild bird research.

Merilli Malta is part-funded by the Malta Environment Foundation, and works in collaboration with Friends of the Earth Malta, BirdLife Malta, the Malta Rock Climbing Club, and ClimbMT. More information about the project can be found on its website www.merillimalta.org and through its social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.