Towards the end of September, birdwatchers at Buskett were treated to an extraordinary sight. According to recently released information by Birdlife Malta, a Lesser Spotted Eagle carrying a white ring marked ‘YA’ soaring gracefully over the Maltese countryside.

What makes this bird so special is its remarkable origin story tied to an innovative conservation project in Brandenburg, Germany.

Lesser Spotted Eagles typically lay two eggs, but nature’s harsh instinct, known as Cainism, means the stronger chick often kills the weaker one. To counter this, conservationists in Poland and Germany rescue these vulnerable ‘second eggs’ - known as the Abels.

The eggs are carefully transferred from wild nests in Poland to Germany, where they are incubated, hand-reared, and released into the wild, giving them a rare second chance at life.

Each bird is fitted with an identification ring so researchers can monitor its movements and survival rates, vital information for the long-term recovery of the species. In Germany, the Lesser Spotted Eagle population once flourished, but conservation efforts like this aim to rebuild their numbers across Europe.

YA’s sighting in Malta marks a significant milestone for the project, demonstrating the success of international collaboration in wildlife conservation. The eagle was last seen in Germany on the 12th of September before being spotted in Malta two weeks later.

While YA’s current whereabouts remain unknown, BirdLife Malta expressed hope that he successfully continued his migration across the Mediterranean to Africa.

What a beautiful sight!