Conservationists’ hide-and-seek with seabirds

Abstract

The Maltese Archipelago hosts nocturnal open seafaring pelagic birds. They have perfected their hiding methods on the rocks, which is great for their survival, but a challenge for researchers. Dilek Sahin writes. Seabirds like shearwaters and petrels spend most of their life at sea but need land to lay their single egg and rear their chick. Tiny Malta is a good option thanks to its location and suitable habitats. We have been living near these secretive neighbours for many years, yet we have only started to properly understand them in recent decades.