Great Bustard-watching in Hungary

(April)

One of the main ornithological events of the Hungarian Spring is the Great Bustard Display. Within this tour we are going to guide you to the traditional displaying places, where you can observe in person this unique natural event.

 

Day 1:

We will meet you at Budapest Airport and after a 2 hour journey we will arrive at your accomodation in Túrkeve. If time allows after your arrival we take a walk in Túrkeve and around the vicinity of the house. Birds in the garden of your accomodation often include syrian woodpacker, red-backed shrike, hoopoe and hawfinch.

Day 2:

Great bustard display watching in the early morning. With the guidance of the local national park's employees we will observe this wonderful natural event without any disturbances. Later on we will be visiting the Great Bustard Reserve in Dévaványa. During our tour you will get familiar with the Hungarian Great Bustard Conservation Program, we will also visit the Folklor Museum located within the Reserve and the surrounding birdwatching places. During the presentation we will have the opportunity to take great bustard pictures in the man-made enclosure and we can see the herd of Hungarian grey cattle as well. During our birdwatching we are most likely to meet with imperial eagles, sakers, black and white storks. If we are lucky we will see early returning red-footed falcons and rollers as well.

Day 3:

While we are watching the male great bustard display in the early morning, hopefully we will see migrating common cranes to the north as well. After we have fully enjoyed the display, we will leave for the surrounding fishponds, where the nightherons, little- and great white egrets have already returned. On the open water surfaces we will see ferruginous ducks, pintails, and garganeys, above them whiskered- and black terns are flying. If we get lucky we can also spot quite a few of the white-winged black tern, osprey and white-tailed eagles.

Day 4:

After the early morning great bustard watching we will visit the old oak copse, riverside woodlands and deciduous woodland plantations. The majority of our song birds have arrived by this time and will either already have bred or will be getting ready for breeding. This is the best time for woodpecker-watching because we can spot the black-, syrian-, middle spotted- and green woodpeckers and on occasion, we can see the grey-headed woodpecker as well.

Day 5:

Depending on the time of the return flight we could visit the centre of the local Environmental Conservation Association and we could see birdringing being conducted as well.

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