Malta picked this bird as its symbol because it really suits the place. Almost everywhere in Malta is rocky, sunny and right by the sea. That is exactly the kind of place the blue rock thrush loves. It nests in cracks in the limestone cliffs, where most other birds can't reach.
The males sing the loudest in spring, when they are trying to find a mate. They like to perch on the very highest point of a cliff or wall so their song travels as far as possible. Some Maltese fishermen say they have heard the same bird on the same rock at the same time of year for ten springs in a row.
The female builds the nest, low and well-hidden, often between two big boulders or inside a deep crack. Both parents help feed the chicks - mostly with beetles, lizards and big juicy moths. Baby thrushes have to be brave - their first flight is usually straight out over a steep cliff.
Blue rock thrushes don't only live in Malta. They are found across southern Europe, North Africa and as far east as Japan, where they are also very loved. But for the Maltese, the bird is special: a small splash of blue and a clear song against the bright yellow cliffs of home.