Thanks to the photos shared by local photographer John Borg, Malta can enjoy the beauty of the Avocet, a bird rarely seen on the Maltese Islands, captured on film while it presumably seeks out prey in the water.

A striking bird with its black and white plumage, the Avocet has a thin, black bill that turns upwards, giving it a unique and somewhat amusing look. To feed, it tilts forward and searches the water with its bill, capturing shrimps and other small invertebrates in estuaries and wetlands.

Being a scarce and irregular migrant bird, the few times it’s spotted locally, the Avocet is usually seen in singles or couples Ghadira Nature Reserve, although sometimes, small flocks are recorded migrating offshore.

Have you ever been lucky enough to spot an Avocet?