S.L. 549.145 Art. 2Interpretation.  

(1) Terms and expressions used in these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Wild Birds Regulations.

(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-regulation (1), unless the context otherwise requires:

"control" means, the capturing and handling of birds from the relevant species to determine which specimens are fitted with a scientific ring, to record the scientific ring identification numbers, details of the specimens and the site location from where they were captured, as specified on the ring recovery form issued by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit, followed by the immediate release back into the wild of all specimens from the same research site, and the submission of data as specified in the special research licence;

"licensee" or "data collector" means a natural person aged eighteen (18) years or over who is in possession of a special research licence issued under these regulations;

"live-decoy" means any specimen from the relevant species 549.145 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON SEVEN FINCH SPECIES)

closed ring, any specimen from the relevant species fitted with a fitted with a single-use ring, their mules and, or hybrids used by the licensee as call birds (‘għajat’), including those held by cotton string and swivel (‘taħrik’) in accordance with regulation 7(1)(h) of the Wild Birds Regulations:

Provided that colour mutations (colour-variants) from the relevant species may only be used by the licensee (i) as call birds (‘għajat’), not as fluttering decoys (‘taħrik’) and (ii) to the extent these colour mutations are fitted with a closed ring;

"protected area" has the same meaning as defined in the Wild

Birds Regulations;

"Regulatory Body" means the entity responsible for the carrying out of this scientific research, which may work in partnership with an accredited university or other recognised research institute;

"relevant species" means European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris), Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes), Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), Common Linnet (Linaria cannabina), Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus), European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) and European Serin (Serinus serinus);

"research period" means the period, as may be established in terms of regulation 8, during which birds from the relevant species are controlled and, or fitted with scientific rings and, or satellite-tags from research sites to obtain data on the migratory routes, for the purpose of establishing Malta’s reference population of the relevant species;

"research site" or "site" means the location clearly outlined on a site plan which is approved for that purpose by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit in terms of sub-regulation (6) of regulation 6 and registered with the Commissioner of Police, which contains not more than one (1) research station;

"research station" means the footprint area within the research site containing not more than one (1) pair of horizontal clap-nets from a hide, which may be used by one or more licensees, with each net having an area not larger than twenty thirty-eight square metres, and the clap-net pair clearly outlined in red ink on the approved site plan;

"satellite-tag" means, for the purpose of these regulations, a small electronic lightweight device that is fitted on specimens from the relevant species supplied for this purpose by the Regulatory Body to track and map their migration routes in real-time without the need to recapture the specimens to extract the data;

"scientific bird ringing" means a research method based on the individual marking of wild birds with a view to providing data on species’ survival rates, migration, movement and dispersal patterns, population dynamics and ecological processes for conservation purposes, which involves:

(a) the capture and handling of wild birds using nets and pre-recorded bird calls;

(b) the attachment of an individually marked scientific ring on a wild bird to enable individual identification and, or the attachment of a satellite-tag to record its precise movements;

(c) the taking of various biometric and morphometric measurements such as size, weight, conditions of feather moult and indications of age and sex of the specimen;

(d) the recording of the scientific ring identification number and biometric information through a special scientific database accessible to scientific bird-ringers and researchers in other regions or countries; and

(e) the immediate release of the birds caught back into the wild after performing the necessary measurements and attachment of scientific rings and, or satellite-tags, or after recording the necessary information from bird specimens already fitted with a scientific ring and, or satellite-tag;

"scientific bird-ringer" means a person who is licensed by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit to perform scientific bird ringing activities in accordance with regulation 23 of the Wild Birds Regulations;

"scientific ring" means an open leg-ring or leg-band supplied by a scheme that represents licensed scientific bird-ringers, of a size that is species-specific bearing a unique identification number to keep track of the movements of the bird and its life history when re-captured;

"single-use ring" means, for the purpose of these regulations, rings that were issued by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit in 2016 and * 2017, bearing code R16U * ;

"special research licence" means a licence issued in accordance with regulation 10;

"subset from the relevant species" means finches within a distinct group of species that, owing to their different ecological and

* * No new or replacement single-use rings were or shall be supplied to licensees. These rings have been audited by an independent Notary Public and are stored for the purpose of future audits as and when required. 549.145 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON SEVEN FINCH SPECIES)

behavioural characteristics, which vary significantly from one species to another and from one site to another, frequent specific habitat types of the Maltese Islands that are suitable for that particular group during their migration, such as open landscapes or agricultural land in the case of Linnet, Serin, Greenfinch and Goldfinch, and wooded areas in the case of Hawfinch, Siskin and Chaffinch.