These days, the Sardinian Warbler is a small black, grey and white warbler that is now a common breeding bird which breeds in the countryside as well as in large gardens even in towns. However, the Sardinian Warbler has only been breeding for just about 140 years.

Reading old ornithological accounts actually makes you wonder how the Sardinian Warbler managed to establish itself in Malta because most of the records of breeding birds came from birds that were shot, some literally as they flew off the nest.

Captain Henry W. Feilden was one of the first to conclude that Sardinian Warblers had started to breed to Malta and in 1874, he informed Henry Eeles Dresser about his findings. At that time, Dresser was working on his monumental work A history of the birds of Europe, a precious book with hand coloured prints of which only about 240 copies were issued only to subscribers.

Dr David Bruce, the army surgeon who identified the Undulant Fever microbe (hence its name Brucellosis), was also stationed in Malta and also found breeding Sardinian Warblers and he too informed Dresser about them. Dresser wrote in his book that Dr Bruce had informed him he had found two nests, one of which was empty and another with three eggs and he had shot a female off the nest to make sure what the species was. Gun ornithology was very much in vogue at the time, and the prevent saying was “what’s hit is history, what’s missed is mystery!”, because what was killed was identified while doubts remained about what was not killed and available for further examination. There were no good binoculars and digital cameras at the time!

In his earlier work of 1864, Wright said the Sardinian Warbler was a common winter visitor but it was not known to breed.  But ten years later he said that the Sardinian Warbler may have started to breed. Apart from the bird shot and others seen by Capt. Fielden, Wright added he had seen or heard two or three others, and noticed one “as late as the middle of May”.

In the early 1900s, in Giuseppe Despott’s times, some were noted migrating in spring and autumn and it was assumed that some of the birds arriving in spring stayed to breed. A number of Sardinian Warblers still migrate through Malta between late October and mid-December and between late February and early March.

Langley E. Roberts, a British serviceman who was stationed in Malta, in 1954 wrote that it was remarkable that whereas so many other Maltese birds have suffered marked, or even drastic diseases, the Sardinian Warbler had changed its status from being an uncommon and irregular winter visitor to becoming one of the commonest resident species.

The breeding season of Sardinian Warblers ranges from February to August, with the peak being between March and May. Most nests have a clutch of four eggs, but clutches of three and five are common. Both sexes share in nest building, incubation, brooding and feeding the young. But the female spends more time incubating and brooding. Incubation takes around 12 to 13 days and birds take another 13 days to fledge. Fledged young stay in the company of their parents for up to three weeks. Birds nesting by early March may raise up to three broods, but most pairs raise two broods and the success rate is about 45 per cent.

The Sardinian Warbler has the habit of calling noisily when it senses human presence or danger close to its nest and cunningly feigns injury as it hops away to draw one’s attention to it and away from its nest.

Sardinian Warblers have a varied diet ranging from insects to fruit. If you have a garden or a courtyard and have seen these birds there, you can start putting out some crumbs of bread or cake. Place it in a place where cats can’t make a feast of birds. You may soon have these birds visiting regularly, and they will be a joy to behold!