A mute swan which landed at Mġarr ix-Xini on Wednesday evening and Mġarr Harbour on Thursday morning appears to be injured, BirdLife Malta said.  

The swan appears to have blood around its head.

It said its officers and officials from the Environment & Resources Authority and the police rushed to monitor the bird in Mġarr ix-Xini but it moved out of the bay until it eventually left the area.

This morning the highly-protected bird reappeared at Mġarr Harbour, near the Gozo Channel ferries.

"This is clearly not an area where such birds are usually seen, and it is evident that the Mute Swan ended here because it is in difficulty. In fact, it has its head covered in blood," BirdLife said.

Officials are on the scene and will try to recover the bird if necessary.

A video shot later showed the bird with a bloodied belly, though it will have to be captured and taken to a vet before the cause of the injuries are known. 

BirdLife called on people to keep a lookout for such cases, especially at times of inclement weather and to contact it when birds are seen to be in difficulty.