The avifauna of the Maltese quaternary : a historical overview

Abstract

The Maltese Quaternary is mostly renowned for its mammalian fauna. Since the early excavations in the late 1800s, avian remains were unearthed along with bones of pachyderms, deer, rodents, and others. The bone remains were normally sent to the British Museum (NH) in London for identification. W.K. PARKER and R. LYDEKKER were the first to work on these bones, followed by others, including scientists from Germany and Malta, who identified most of the remains, from which they also described several new species to science. These included extinct species, such as the Giant Swan Cygnus falconeri, Giant Crane Grus melitensis, a ‘Maltese’ Vulture Gyps melitensi,s and a ‘Maltese’ owl Strix melitensis. To date, a total of 49 species of birds have been identified. The main aim of this overview is to highlight the various contributions and authors who constructed our present knowledge on the Maltese Quaternary avifauna.