Hungary

Ural Owls Strix uralensis ©Gabor Orban - Ecotours-Kondor EcoLodge Website

Birding Hungary

Hungary, like much of central Europe has cold winters and warm summers as the climate is profoundly effected by the continental landmass. Although it was always among the most developed and affluent of the old soviet block it is still relatively under developed and agricultural practices have not yet been so intense as to ruin the land’s potential for wildlife. The birds which were once familiar all over European farmland still thrive including Turtle Doves and Tree Sparrows, Corn Buntings and Red-backed Shrikes, White Storks and Hoopoes. A supporting cast of Golden Orioles, Bee-eaters and Serins are a delight to birders from the UK.For a one-day trip the Kiskunsag area is the best. This is similar to Hortobagy, but smaller, there is puszta, fish-ponds, alcaline lakes, marshes, ect. It is close enough for an outing from Budapest, but you can find an interesting variety of birds including some of the ‘specials’ such as Great Bustard, Red-footed Falcon, Golden Oriol, European Bee-eater and Roller as well as a variety of herons, egrets, wildfowl, passerines, etc.

The most interesting areas, from the birders point of view, include the Puszta and the wooded Bukk Hills. The former is the remnant of the great grassy steppes formerly used to run cattle – notably Hungarian Grey Cattle. These grassy areas are still home to the highest densities of Red-footed Falcons and Eastern Imperial Eagle in Europe and high populations of Great Bustard and Aquatic Warblers. The most well known area being Hortobagy, although it is not the only area of Puszta left, and is also renowned for its Autumn accumulation of Common Cranes by the thousand. The Bukk Hills and surrounding copses, villages, farmlands are home to Wryneck and all but one of the species of European Woodpecker. The woodlands are alive in spring with Hawfinches and Collared Flycatchers and, if you are lucky you may spot a day-flying Ural Owl. Ponds, lakes, marshes and fishponds abound and are home to the three marsh terns, many wildfowl, and sought after passerines such as Bluethroats and Savi’s Warbler, as well as other goodies such as Pygmy Cormorant, Night Heron and the like.Also for a one-day trip the Buda hills, Börzsöny hills and their localeoffer some good birding. Woodpeckers [sometimes White-backed], passerines, including Hawfinches, raptors, ect. For the Cranes (in top years there can be more than 100.000 birds) autumn, and mainly the month of October is the best.

What is more Hungary remains a relatively cheap destination with low cost accommodation and restaurants and a pleasant landscape of neat villages and attractive farms, good wine and bird friendly people with no tradition of hunting of small birds. The woodpeckers alone are sufficient reason to take a trip.

This page is sponsored by EcoTours Hungary

Contributors

Laszlo Albert
| kopike@freemail.hu

Number of Species

Number of bird species: 424

(As at April 2020)
National Bird - Great Bustard Otis tarda

Checklist

iGoTerra Checklist
iGoTerra Checklist
Fatbirder Associate iGoTerra offers the most comprehensive and up to date birds lists on the web

Useful Reading

Finding Birds in Hungary

| By Dave Gosney | Easybirder | 2015 | Paperback | 36 Pages, Maps | ISBN: 9781907316531 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Finding Birds in Hungary

| By Dave Gosney | Easybirder | DVD | Dec 2015 | 73 Minutes | ISBN: 9781907316548 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Magyarország Ragadozó Madarai (Birds of Prey of Hungary)

| By Papp Gábor, Kovács András & Turny Zoltán | Magánkiadás | 2016 | Paperback | 200 pages, 300+ colour photos, b/w illustrations, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9789631234978 Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Birds Of Hungary

| By Gerard Gorman | Christopher Helm | 1996 | Hardback | 192 pages, 50 line drawings, 363 maps | ISBN: 9780713642353 Buy this book from NHBS.com

Observatories

Hungarian Bird Ringing Centre
Observatory Website Satellite View
1121 Budapest, Költ ő u. 21. Tel.: (+36-1) 391-1772 ▪ Fax: (+36-1) 275-6267 ▪ E-mail: ringers@mme.hu

Organisations

Birding.hu
Website
The objective of birding.hu is to provide quick, helpful information to field-birders in Hungary. Our aim is to give quality information in hopes of improving field-birding, so anyone anywhere can get up-to-date news about interesting birds. Aside from anything in connection with birding (pictures, expositions of areas and groups, news, trip reports, links, classified ads etc) that can be presented on our site, we welcome suggestions
Hungarian Ornithological & Nature Conservation Society
Facebook Page
Its mission is to protect wild birds and help preserve biodiversity. It has about 10,000 members, employs 26 staff, and is the Hungarian partner organisation of BirdLife International. Since 1991 it has published the journal Ornis Hungarica.
Hungary Rarities Committee
Website
Comprehensive lists of Hungarian avifauna plus rarity submissions etc.

Reserves

Abbreviations Key

NP Aggtelek
Information Satellite View
Animals present in the Aggtelek National Park included the fire salamander, hucul pony, common buzzard, eastern imperial eagle, European copper skink, white-throated dipper, red deer, Eurasian lynx, gray wolf, wild boar, crested tit, goldcrest, Eurasian bullfinch, hazel grouse, common kingfisher, red-backed shrike, old World swallowtail, scarce swallowtail and the saga pedo.
NP Bükk
Information Satellite View
Mountainous and forested, Bükk is Hungary's largest national park and is situated in the northern mountains, between Szilvásvárad and Lillafüred.
NP Danube-Drava
Information Satellite View
Danube-Drava National Park was founded in 1996 and is located in the south west of Hungary. The current area is 490 square kilometres and the majority of the national park sites are located within the Danube and Drava floodland areas, of which 190 km² are Ramsar wetlands.
NP Fertő-Hanság
Information Satellite View
The area gives home to various kinds of birds, like the great egret, purple heron, common spoonbill and greylag goose. During the migration season species of the family Scolopacidae appear. Rare birds include red-breasted goose, white-tailed eagle and hen harrier. The lake is inhabited by weatherfish, northern pike and ziege. On the meadows west from the lake vegetation of rare plants like the yellow lady's slipper, fly orchid, the Hungarian iris and Iris pumila and various butterfly species can be found, while the eastern puszta areas are covered by Puccinellia peisonis, Aster tripolium, A. pannonicum and Suaeda maritima.
NP Hortobágyi
Information Satellite View
The Hortobágy is Hungary's largest protected area, and the largest semi-natural grassland in Europe. It provides habitat for various species including 342 species of birds. The red-footed falcon, stone curlew, great bustard and aquatic warbler are represented by breeding populations. The area is an important stopover site for migrating common cranes, dotterels, and lesser white-fronted geese Hungarian website: http://www.hnp.hu/
NP Kiskunság
Information Satellite View
he park covers an area of 570 km2 and stretches across the Little Cumania (Kiskunság) region of the Great Hungarian Plain. The alkali lakes of the Little Cumania are found near Fülöpszállás and Szabadszállás. Their unique flora and fauna are of special value. Avocets, geese and black-winged stilts nest in the area. The lakes provide a temporary home for tens of thousands of migratory birds. This ornithologist paradise is also a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
NP Körös-Maros
Information Satellite View
The park was created in 1997 for the protection of birds. Körös-Maros National Park has a number of regions such as Kis-Sárrét swamp, Fáspuszta, Mágor-puszta or Kardoskúti Fehértó. It features a bustard reserve established in 1975. The major towns of the area are Szarvas and Dévaványa.
NR Sas Hill
Information Satellite View
The Sas-hegy Nature Reserve belongs to the Danube-Ipoly National Park. The 30 acres (120,000 m2) area on the top of the hill was placed under protection in 1958. It was one of the first nature reserves of Hungary, protecting the limestone landscape and its special flora and fauna. Hungarian website here: http://www.dunaipoly.hu/hu/helyek/vedett-teruletek/adonyi-termeszetvedelmi-terulet/budai-sas-hegy-tt
Wetlands
Webpage Satellite View
Hungary currently has 29 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance

Sightings, News & Forums

Birding.hu
News & Sightings
English version of latest sightings

Guides & Tour Operators

E-Tours
Tour Operator
We have been organizing the birdwatching tours since 1991. We work for leading UK and world birding tour operators and various associations. We have three main criteria in designing the BW holidays: Professional competence and personality of expert group leaders and the local ornithologist Choice of the most interesting sites Smooth organization and a comfortable environment to ensure customer enjoyment and commercial success. E-mail us for a detailed itinerary and birdlists! info@etours.cz
Ecotours Hungary
Tour Operator
Our company was formed with the intention of popularising Hungary as a perfect ecotouristic destination both for amateur naturalists and for those with a more academic interest in plant and animal species, habitats and geology…
Ecotours Wildlife Holidays
Tour Operator
Ecotours Wildlife Holidays is the specialist of Eastern Europe, running regular birding tours in 15 countries of the region. We organise quality Birding, butterfly, moth and dragonfly and bird photography tours, we also offer bear watching and bat watching opportunities, besides running small mammal safaris and general wildlife holidays
Green Eye Ecotours
Tour Operator
Today we provide outdoor-oriented tours, adventures, expeditions…
Hungarian Bird Tours
Tour Operator
Roy Adams is a retired police wildlife crime officer and served almost thirty two years with the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. He lives in a village close to Eger. Since his first visit to Hungary in 1995 he has built up a good knowledge of the birds in eastern Hungary and works closely with the Bukk National Park staff on conservation schemes.
Hungarian Birdwatching
Tour Operator
Hungarianbirdwatching.com is an association of young, enthusiastic birders. We organise birding tours and birdwatching holidays in Hungary and in Budapest. Our birding tours are highly customised to your needs.
Hungarobirds
Facebook Page
Our Birdwatching trips cover almost the whole year and we also organize special tours focusing on special occasions such as great bustards display or crane migration
Probirder
Tour Operator
Hungary`s most experienced birding guides are available year-round to assist individuals, groups of friends, bird clubs & tour companies. From a few hours, one day, one week, to as long as you request. Save time & effort and let Birding Hungary guides show you the regulars, rarities and hard-to-find species. With 15 years of experience in Hungary our guiding skills and services are second to none!
Sakertour
Tour Operator
Established in 1994 by Prof. J. Ol
Travelling Naturalist
Tour Operator
We visit the fabulous steppes, lakes, and marshes of the Hortobágy and the Hungarian forests at the peak of the breeding season. Join us for some of the best birdwatching in Europe!

Trip Reports

2003 [09 September] - Brian Anderson - BFA
PDF Report
After the DBA’s (BFA) long-distance trips to Kenya, Canada and India over the past three years it was a pleasant diversion to go on a week’s birding trip to Hungary. The trip was organised and lead by Gerard Gorman who lives in Budapest, and who is a very experienced and knowledgeable authority on the birds of Hungary. He is also an acknowledged expert on the woodpeckers of Hungary, and is soon to publish a new book on Picidae.
2005 [04 April] - Fatbirder
Report
Chasing woodpeckers with Gerard Gorman…
2011 [09 September] - Roy Taylor
Report PDF
…In seven days we had seen 37 species of mammal (including 19 species of bat), over 120 species of bird and 44 species of butterfly – a fantastic wildlife haul…
2012 [05 May] - Music & Birds
Report PDF
…The idea had germinated 2 years earlier in Bulgaria, while Balazs was playing some Handel and Bach on his laptop one picnic lunch stop… 1st day: Great Bustards and Beethoven’s Eroica 2nd day birding began on a high note with an Icterine Warbler singing and ended with the Hungarian Dance Ensemble performing Eastern European Folk Dances….
2012 [05 May] - Sándor Borza
Report
We recorded a total of 205 species in 10 days of birding while covering almost all major bird habitats of the Carpathian Basin. This tour also gives a superb insight of the fantastic sceneries in the countries visited: Hungary, Slovakia and Romania…
2012 [06 June] - Chris Durdin - Kiskunság National Park
PDF Report
"Lake Kondor … earlier when we’d stopped here there had been roller, bee-eaters, great white egret and lesser grey shrike, plus a marsh harrier being mobbed by a large group of lapwings. This time there were sounds of golden oriole, black woodpecker, cuckoo and turtle doves as we looked at some butterflies – short-tailed blue and Bath white – and flowers such as dragon’s teeth and downy woundwort."
2013 [05 May] - Sándor Borza - Hungary, Slovakia & Romania
PDF Report
…This year’s highlights were all the European breeding woodpeckers including superb views of the rare and declining White- backed Woodpecker and the enigmatic Three-toed Woodpecker; six species of owls including Ural and Eagle Owl; nineteen species of raptors including Booted, Short-toed and Imperial Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Red-footed Falcon and Saker; Great Bustard, Little Crake, Corncrake, Collared Pratincole, Wallcreeper, Red-breasted and Collared Flycatchers, Thrush Nightingale and a wide range of warblers including River Warbler…
2013 [06 June] - Paul Tout - Kiskunság National Park
Report
…Underfoot it was very wet and unfortunately the path to the tower hide which overlooks an oxbow lake was flooded, but we did see yellow birthwort scrambling along the verges, a huge stag beetle on a tree trunk, a nuthatch, and in a clearing where there was a very fine carving of a bee-keeper, a black woodpecker flew over and was ‘called back’ using a recording. The birds have already finished breeding by early June but remain territorial…
2013 [09 September] - Nick Moss
Report
Every morning I birded from first light (about 6am) until breakfast, and over three mornings here I had a few Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, a few Nutchatches, Short-toed Treecreeper, a pair of Black Redstarts, Ravens overhead, a pair of Hawfinches, Spotted Flycatcher, Siskins, Blackbirds, Song Thrush etc….
2013 [09 September] - Vernon Lundy
Report PDF
Saker, Red-footed Falcon, White-tailed, Imperial, Golden, Short-toed and Lesser Spotted Eagle, Long-legged and Honey Buzzard, Marsh and Montagu’s Harrier (with luck Pallid and Hen Harrier), Goshawk, Ural and Eagle Owl may all be seen at this time of the year…
2014 [05 May] - Ecotours
PDF Report
After arrival to Budapest Airport we do either a quick 1-1,5-hour-long transfer to Kondor EcoLodge or we check out habitats and photographing birds as we go in the Kiskunsag National Park, arriving in the evening to the accommodation.
2014 [05 May] - Zoltán Baczó
Report
...Finally we arrived to this grassland national park where we were soon watching various goodies like Purple Heron, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Marsh Sandpiper, Black Woodpecker and a fine singing breeding plumaged Barred Warbler...
2014 [08 August] - Jason Boyce - Austria & Hungary
PDF Report
a couple of productive stops and got a few good views of Eurasian Treecreeper, Wood Warbler, Eurasian Bullfinch, and a whole host of Tits, made up of European Crested, Willow, Coal, Great, Eurasian Blue, and Marsh.
2014 [10 October] - Joan & Paddy Heyland - Hortobagy & Bukk Hills
PDF Report
...Large flocks of Rook and Jackdaw were also evident. Raptors were mainly Common Buzzard and Kestrel, with occasional sightings of Marsh Harriers quartering the fields and grasslands....
2015 [04 April] - Damien Gailly & Noé Terorde - Zempléni Hills & Hortobàgy NP
Report PDF
...There we had our first frustration: the observation of a probable Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina), but too far to be identified with certainty. We also saw Black Storks (Ciconia nigra) and Northern Ravens (Corvus corax).
2015 [05 May] - Gábor Simay - Hungary, Slovakia & Transyvania
Report PDF
This year’s highlights were nine speciesof owls including Ural, Eagle, Scops and Tengmalm’s Owls, ten species of woodpeckers (allthe European breeding species) including superb views of White-backed and Three-toedWoodpeckers; nineteen species of raptors including Short-toed and Eastern Imperial, Lesserand Greater Spotted Eagles, Long-legged Buzzard, Red-footed Falcon and Saker; GreatBustard, Little Crake, Corncrake, Collared Pratincole, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Great Snipe,Wallcreeper, Thrush Nightingale, Moustached and River Warblers; and even some localrarities were found by the group, namely Pectoral Sandpiper and Slender-billed Gull.
2016 [06 June] - Barry Madden - Kiskunság National Park
PDF Report
By slowly driving along the sandy tracks we were able to get very close to a large colony of nesting bee-eaters. These birds were busy excavating their burrows, courting, mating and generally going about their business. The rainbow colours of these excellent birds were seen to stunning effect when sunlit against the backdrop of brooding storm clouds.
2017 [05 May] - János Oláh - Hungary & Transylvania
PDF Report
This is a perfect introduction to birders visiting Europe for the first time but also offers some difficult-to-see birds for those who birded the continent before. But apart from birds it is also a great tour to see a wide range of habitats from the Hungarian ‘puszta’ to the cool pine forests of Transylvania.
2017 [05 May] - Simay Gábor - Hungary, Slovakia & Transylvania
PDF Report
...This tour cover s three Central European count r ies a nd most of their bird habitats from the Hungarian gra sslands to the Slovakian and Romanian spruce forests. This is an extremely productive tour in Europe and can be easily combined with the Romanian Danube Delta Tour for overseas travellers...
2017 [05 May] - Terry Stevenson & Lajos Nemeth-Boka - Hungary & Romania
Report
As always, the birding included the specials of the region, with Pygmy Cormorant, Dalmatian Pelican, Imperial Eagle, Great Bustard, Black Woodpecker and Wallcreeper being just a few from an impressive list. However, this year we also did absolutely exceptional for mammals, with European Mink being the rarest, but we also had Common 'Golden' Jackal, Wildcat, and no less than 8 Brown Bears.
2017 [10 October] - József Kecskés - Hortobágy
PDF Report
In the last few years a few migration times has changed. Notable the Cranes usually arrive in large numbers by late September and the Scandinavian Lesser White-fronted Geese only stay for a few days in the Hortobágy.
2017 [11 November] - Simay Gábor
PDF Report
On ourthirdRed-breasted Goose Special Tour we recorded 113 species, among them eight speciesof geese. Hortobágy National Park has always been well-known for its amazing number of wild geese and our tour is focusing on this spectacle!
2018 [09 September] - Ecotours Wildlife Holidays
PDF Report
Moving on, we came across a field full of Common Cranes. While admiring them, we also spotted a juvenile Red-backed Shrike, a Turtle Dove and a stunning Cardinal Fritillary butterfly. We next drove down a rough track where we were treated to overhead views of at least two huge White-tailed Eagles. A bit further on, we walked to a slight hump in the flat habitat to scan for bustards
2018 [11 November] - János Oláh - Hortobágy
PDF Report
Not many places in the World where you can see this two threatened geese species – Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted - in such a short and comfortable weekend but the World Heritage Hortobágy National Park is certainly one of these!
2018 [11 November] - Zoltan Baczo
Report
he third Red-breasted Goose Special Tour in a row organized by Sakertours was a successful trip again! We recorded 121 species of birds, which is very high number for such a short tour in November.

Places to Stay

FFábián Panzió
Accommodation
Fábián Panzió is a family-run Bed and Breakfast with a Mediterranean atmosphere situated in the centre of Kecskemét, 200 metres from the main square.
Farm Lator
Accommodation
Farm Lator is specialist and host in the mountains, wetlands and plains of NE Hungary. With two restored, idyllically situated farmhouses and a natural campsite in the B
Kondor EcoLodge
Accommodation
We offer an unique place as a base to stay to discover the special butterflies, dragonflies, birds, mammals, botanical and other natural values of the Great Hungarian Plain, the so called "Puszta"…
Nomad Hotel
Accommodation
Traditional Lodge with great Hungarian food - often used by birders in the Bukk Hills

Hungary

Birding Hungary

Laszlo Albert

Number of bird species: 424

iGoTerra Checklist

Finding Birds in Hungary

Finding Birds in Hungary

Magyarország Ragadozó Madarai (Birds of Prey of Hungary)

The Birds Of Hungary

Hungarian Bird Ringing Centre

Birding.hu

Hungarian Ornithological & Nature Conservation Society

Hungary Rarities Committee

NP Aggtelek

NP Bükk

NP Danube-Drava

NP Fertő-Hanság

NP Hortobágyi

NP Kiskunság

NP Körös-Maros

NR Sas Hill

Wetlands

Birding.hu

E-Tours

Ecotours Hungary

Ecotours Wildlife Holidays

Green Eye Ecotours

Hungarian Bird Tours

Hungarian Birdwatching

Hungarobirds

Probirder

Sakertour

Travelling Naturalist

2003 [09 September] - Brian Anderson - BFA

2005 [04 April] - Fatbirder

2011 [09 September] - Roy Taylor

2012 [05 May] - Music & Birds

2012 [05 May] - Sándor Borza

2012 [06 June] - Chris Durdin - Kiskunság National Park

2013 [05 May] - Sándor Borza - Hungary, Slovakia & Romania

2013 [06 June] - Paul Tout - Kiskunság National Park

2013 [09 September] - Nick Moss

2013 [09 September] - Vernon Lundy

2014 [05 May] - Ecotours

2014 [05 May] - Zoltán Baczó

2014 [08 August] - Jason Boyce - Austria & Hungary

2014 [10 October] - Joan & Paddy Heyland - Hortobagy & Bukk Hills

2015 [04 April] - Damien Gailly & Noé Terorde - Zempléni Hills & Hortobàgy NP

2015 [05 May] - Gábor Simay - Hungary, Slovakia & Transyvania

2016 [06 June] - Barry Madden - Kiskunság National Park

2017 [05 May] - János Oláh - Hungary & Transylvania

2017 [05 May] - Simay Gábor - Hungary, Slovakia & Transylvania

2017 [05 May] - Terry Stevenson & Lajos Nemeth-Boka - Hungary & Romania

2017 [10 October] - József Kecskés - Hortobágy

2017 [11 November] - Simay Gábor

2018 [09 September] - Ecotours Wildlife Holidays

2018 [11 November] - János Oláh - Hortobágy

2018 [11 November] - Zoltan Baczo

FFábián Panzió

Farm Lator

Kondor EcoLodge

Nomad Hotel

Birding Hungary

Birds of Hungary

Hungarian Birds, nature photography, digiscoping

Hungarian Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Soproni Jani - Photoblog

BirdphotographyHungary

Photographer - Csaba Loki

Photographer - Eduardo Balogh - Birdwatcher

Photographer - Farkas Bal

Photographer - Lantai-Csont Gergely

Photographer - Miklos Onodi

Photographer - Old Shutter Hand