The National Museum of Natural History is normally associated with stuffed animals and birds, and indeed it currently holds over 4,000 bird skins in its collections. However this year the museum also hosted a relatively uncommon pair of birds that decided to take up residence inside the museum.

The spotted flycatcher is a common migrant in spring. Smaller numbers migrate in the autumn. A few pairs remain to breed in Malta during summer, mainly at Buskett and other wooded areas. The first documented breeding record was of single pairs at Buskett in 1971, 1972 and 1974 as well as in later years. Two nests forming part of the late Temi Conti’s collection at the museum dated 27 April 1961 and 19 July 1963, both from Buskett show that breeding had also taken place before 1971.

In the last 20 years a few pairs of spotted flycatcher have been recorded breeding amongst other places at Buskett, Addolorata Cemetery and Howard Gardens in Rabat. In 2009, at least two pairs nested in the said Rabat gardens.

In early June a pair of spotted flycatchers was noted courting in the inner courtyard of the National Museum of Natural History in Mdina. After two days of courtship and a failed attempt at nest building, an almost complete nest was located in one of the hanging chandeliers at the back side of the courtyard. A few days later the female was noted incubating 3 light blue coloured eggs. The chosen site was close to the carpenter’s workshop but away from any disturbance. Two eggs hatched after about two weeks and the two chicks fledged successfully in the first week of July. In the third week of July three freshly laid eggs were found in the same nest.

The outer walls of the museum also hold some 20 pairs of Spanish sparrows as well as a small colony of 5 to10 pairs of tree sparrows.