If you're ever in need of a little wonder in your life, sometimes all it takes is a glance at the skies or shores. One incredible photo shared by the page Feathers Over Malta recently captured just that moment of magic – a stunning Black-winged Stilt, known locally as ‘Fra Servjent’.

With its elegant black and white plumage, long slender bill, and distinctly pink legs, this long-legged wading bird will undoubtedly stop you in your tracks. Native to marshes and wetlands across the Mediterranean, the Black-winged Stilt is a regular seasonal visitor to Malta’s coastal nature reserves, usually appearing between spring and autumn.

Aside from being visually striking, these birds are impressive in the way that they’re designed to catch their prey, carrying a slender black bill perfect for picking insects and crustaceans out of shallow water, and long legs that help them feed where other waders can’t reach.

They’re typically seen feeding along shorelines, especially in shallow waters where they delicately pick food off the surface. Black-winged Stilts usually nest in small colonies on open ground close to water, often sharing space with avocets.

If you want to see one, head to the nature reserves at Simar (Xemxija), Għadira (Mellieħa) or Salina, or any other coastal areas with shallow waters.

Have you ever spotted one?