József Gyurácz

Successful restoration of water level and surface area restored migrant bird populations in a Hungarian wetland

Water level and water surface area fluctuations are important factors determining abundance of bird populations and bird assemblages structure in a wetland habitat. The water level and water surface area of the Marsh Tömörd (West Hungary) changed drastically between 1998 and 2008, and the marsh dried out because of scarce rainfall in 2000 and 2001. A habitat restoration in winter 2001 repaired the waterholding capacity of the marsh. We analyzed changes in parameters of bird assemblages in investigated wetland area in relation of environmental factors. We used full redundancy analysis (RDA) on number of caugth migratory birds per year, species richness, diversity and evenness of bird assemblages to examine correlations among water level, water surface area and vegetation core. Species like water rail, common snipe, river warbler, Savi’s warbler, great reed warbler, reed warbler, marsh warbler, sedge warbler, reed bunting showed high and positive linear correlations with the water level and water surface area in the postbreeding period. Some wetland species, sedge warbler, Savi’s warbler and reed bunting as well as total number of caugth birds per year and total numbers of caugth species per year were clearly associated with thick marsh vegetation. According to our results the bird species composition of the wetland might have returned to the prerestoration levels and surface areas.

Autumn migration of robins ( Erithacus rubecula ) in Hungary

The purpose of this study was to describe the autumn migration dynamics of juvenile (n = 3075) and adult (n = 596) robin Erithacus rubecula in Hungary. Capturing and ringing of birds took place at five bird ringing stations of Actio Hungarica between 13 August and 27 October, 2004. The number of captured juvenile and adult individuals rated to one net was the lowest in the reeds of Izsák and the highest in the woody areas of Szalonna, where adults were present at a higher proportion. The migration dynamics of the robin showed that the end of September and the beginning of October was the peak time for passing through Hungary. Based on the estimated time of the 10% of daily capture, it can be stated that juvenile birds started their migration as early as the end of August or at the beginning of September while the migration of the adults started later. The migration started earliest in Szalonna and latest in Izsák. The comparison of daily catch dynamics (based on the estimated time of 10% and 50% of daily captures) of juveniles and adults between study sites showed that similarity of daily capture was higher in the case of juveniles. The five study sites had different qualities from the point of view of the robins’ habitat preference. Our results showed that the reed-bed of Izsák had only peripheral importance while the other forest and bushy study areas played a key role in resting and feeding during the migration of the robin.

Influence of macrosynoptic weather situation on the autumn migration of birds in Hungary

Influence of macrosynoptic weather situation on the autumn migration of birds in Hungary In the study we have examined the relation between the European macrosynoptic weather situation and the number of birds captured a day at four Hungarian ringing stations during the autumn migration. Along the research we examined the data of 32 809 individuals of 8 species using different migration strategies. Using the daily capture data at the four stations we constructed the migration diagrams for each year. We chose the migration peak days within ten-day periods and examined how these peak days or their preceding days are distributed over Péczelys macrosynoptic weather situations. Comparing the 8 bird species no significant difference in distribution of the peak days over the macrosynoptic weather situations was found (ANOVA: F7,376 = 1.81, p = 0.084). 85% of the migration peak days for all the species were connected with anticyclones, 10% with meridional cyclone / cold front situation and 5% with other cyclonic ones. The most frequent weather situation on the migration peak days was central anticyclone, which occurred in 61 cases.

Philopatry analysis of the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) based on ringing data in Europe

Ringing databases of the EURING Data Bank and the Hungarian Bird Ringing Centre were analysed in order to investigate the philopatry of the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in three European regions. The aim of the study was to find out if there are continent-scale geographic trends in philopatry with respect to the age of the birds. Three clusters were assigned according to their geographic positions: (i) southern part of Europe (Region 1: between 36°–43° latitudes), (ii) middle part of Europe (Region 2: between 43°–49° latitudes) and (iii) northern part of Europe, (Region 3: between 49°–56° latitudes). No significant differences were found between the natal and breeding philopatry in any Regions, except Region 3. The birds ringed as adults in Region 3 were less faithful to their breeding site than those of the other two regions. Natal philopatry of juveniles did not differ between Region 1 and Region 2, but both of them differed in this respect from Region 3. A method for choosing appropriate breeding periods in philopatry studies is also proposed.

Temperature and precipitation effects on breeding productivity of some passerines – a multivariate analysis of constant effort mist-netting data

Abstract The relationship between the temperature, the precipitation of the breeding season’s months, and the annual proportions of the first year birds such as the indicators of the breeding success were examined by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) having targeted nine common passerine species. The results of our study have shown that the high April and May temperature has been favourable for the breeding of the partial and the short-distance migrants, the common blackbird (Turdus merula) and the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). This is confirmed by the fact that the highest annual capture (164) of the hatching year of the Eurasian blackcap was in 2009, when there was the mildest April during the study period (13.57°C), while the lowest annual capture (15) was in 2002, when there was the second coolest April (9.78°C). The common chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) was a wet spring-tolerant species. There was negative correlation between April, May, June temperature and proportion of young great tit. The relationships between the annual captures of first year birds and the climate variables could not be identified with the methods used for the European robin (Erithacus rubecula), the common whitethroat (Sylvia communis), the lesser whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) and the blue tit (Parus caeruleus). The temperature in July was the most important climate factor for the breeding success of the long-distance migrant European pied flycatcher (Fycedula hypoleuca).

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster Linnaeus, 1758) in Hungary: a review

Abstract The European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster Linnaeus, 1758) is known as ‛beekeeper bird’ and an effective ecosystem engineer species. The fact that in 2013 it became ‛The Bird of the Year’ in Hungary offers the possibility to summarise the information about the distribution, population size, breeding and feeding ecology, dispersion, migration, intra- and interspecific relationships as well as the nature conservation status of the bee-eater population breeding in Hungary. Though this review focuses on the Hungarian population trends, but also summarises the major research results from other countries. In the period of 1992-2013, the number of breeding pairs were surveyed in 5897 2.5×2.5 km UTM squares in the frame of the Monitoring of Rare and Colonial Breeding Birds programme. In the surveyed area during the period of 1992-2013, the most accurate estimate suggests a 10600-19600 breeding pair population. The larger nesting colonies were observed in the following regions: Zala Hills, Outer Somogy, Gerecse, Velencei Hills, Mezőföld, Gödöllő Hills, Tápió, Bükkalja, Taktaköz, Körös region. The annual population indices showed marked fluctuation with stable long term population trend in Hungary. The national monitoring and protection project of the European Bee-eater revealed the most important factors endangering the nesting populations, these are weed invasion and the collapse of vertical banks, mining carried out in the nesting period and direct human-caused disturbance (e.g. shooting, tourism). Összefoglalás A gyurgyalag (Merops apiaster Linnaeus, 1758) „méhész madárként” és hatékony ökoszisztéma mérnök fajként is ismert. 2013-ban „Az év madarának” választották Magyarországon, ezen alkalomból jelen írás összefoglalja a gyurgyalag földrajzi elterjedésére, állománynagyságára, fészkelésére, táplálkozására, szétterjedésére, vonulására, intra- és interspecifikus kapcsolataira, valamint természetvédelmi helyzetére vonatkozó lényeges ismereteket, kitekintve más országok fontosabb kutatási eredményeire is. 1992 és 2013 között, az MME „Ritka és Telepesen fészkelő Madarak Monitroingja, RTM” program keretében 5897 darab, 2,5×2,5 kilométeres UTM négyzetben mértük fel a költőpárok számát. Felméréseink alapján készült eddigi legpontosabb becslés szerint a gyurgyalag hazai fészkelő állománya évente 10 600-19 600 pár volt 1992 és 2013 között. A legnagyobb költőtelepeket a következő régiókban figyeltük meg: Zalai-dombság, Külső-Somogy, Gerecse, Velencei-hegység, Mezőföld, Gödöllői-dombság, Tápióvidék, Bükkalja, Taktaköz, Körös vidéke. A trendanalízis eredménye alapján a hazai költőállomány a vizsgált időszakban stabil volt. Az országos monitoring és védelmi program által feltárt leggyakoribb fészkelést veszélyeztető tényezők a következők voltak: a partfalak benövényesedése, a függőleges partfalak ledőlése, fészkelési időszakban végzett bányászat, valamint a közvetlen emberi zavarás (pl. vadászat, turizmus).

Local abundance and spatial distribution of some migratory birds during post-breeding period

Abstract The local abundance and spatial distribution of the short- to medium-distance migratory and daytime stopover passerines (Robin Erithacus rubecula, Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita, Blue tit Parus caeruleus, Great tit P. major) were studied in a West Hungarian stopover ground during post-breeding season. The dispergation index of all migratory bird species revealed clumped distribution both in „smallest annual capture year” (abb. SACY) and the „largest annual capture year” (abb. LACY). According to the PCA the spatial occurrences of Blackcap, Blue tit and Great tit captured in LACY showed significantly higher concentration than of those migrating in SACY. The studied species appeared in all four habitats (bushy, forest, grassland, marsh) of the study stopover area, but their clumped spatial distribution showed habitat preference. The abundance-dependent shift of habitat selection was found only in Great tit, the most of them captured in SACY concentrated in grassland with bushy, while the ones captured in LACY grouped in forest habitat type. Blackcaps were grouped the grassland with bushes habitat type where many Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus) bushes were available during autumn migration. Összefoglalás Jelen tanulmány öt rövid- és középtávú vonuló, vonulását napközben megszakító énekesmadár faj (vörösbegy Erithacus rubecula, barátposzáta Sylvia atricapilla, csilpcsalpfüzike Phylloscopus collybita, kék cinege Parus caeruleus, széncinege P. major) egyedszáma (éves fogás) és térbeli eloszlása közötti kapcsolatot vizsgálja az őszi vonulási időszakban, nyugat-magyarországi élőhelyen. A diszpergáltsági index értékei alapján a madarak csoportos eloszlást mutattak a legkisebb (SACY) és a legnagyobb (LACY) fogásszámú évben is. A PCA eredményei alapján a barátposzáták, a kék cinegék és a széncinegék csoportosulásának mértéke lényegesen nagyobb volt a nagy fogásszámú években. A vizsgált fajok megjelentek mind a négy élőhelyen (bokros terület, erdő, gyep, mocsár) a vizsgálati területen, de az egyedek csoportosulása élőhelypreferenciát mutatott. Az élőhelyválasztásban megmutatkozó denzitásfüggő eltolódást csak a széncinegék esetében sikerült kimutatnunk: a legkisebb fogásszámú évben az egyedek többsége a füves-bokros élőhelyeken koncentrálódott, míg a legnagyobb fogásszámú évben az erdei élőhelyen csoportosultak a madarak. A barátposzáták a füves-bokros élőhelyen koncentrálódtak, ahol a táplálékul szolgáló földi bodza nagy mennyiségben állt rendelkezésükre.

Do the European Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) reach South Africa during wintering

AbstractFormer studies have shown that the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) has two genetically distinguishable haplogroups (a “western” and an “eastern” clade). The species occurs in South Africa from January to late March, yet, in the whole database of EURING, there are no recoveries to the south of the Congo. There are at least three hypotheses concerning which birds are seen wintering in South Africa: (1) the European breeders reach South Africa, but there are no ringing recoveries; (2) a mixed population of birds originating from Turkey, Iran and Kazakhstan (Near and Middle East) winters in South Africa; and (3) birds from Europe and the Near and Middle Eastern populations both reach South Africa. We have sequenced a 492-bp part of the mtDNA control region II in 146 samples from five European breeding and one South African wintering population of Great Reed Warblers. The results show that over 60% of the wintering birds in South Africa carry European haplotypes, belonging to both “eastern” and “western” clades. Since the exact haplotypic constitution of the Near and Middle Eastern populations are not known to us, we cannot exclude that a mixed wintering population is formed from birds originating from these regions, but it seems more likely that the European breeders reach South Africa.ZusammenfassungKommen Europäische Drosselrohrsänger (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) zum Überwintern bis nach Südafrika? Frühere Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass Drosselrohrsänger (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in zwei genetisch unterscheidbaren „Haplogruppen“vorkommen, einer westlichen und einer östlichen Gruppe. Die Art ist von Januar bis März in Südafrika anzutreffen, und tatsächlich zeigt die gesamte Datenbank EURING keinerlei Wiederfunde südlich des Kongo. Es gibt mindestens drei Hypothesen dazu, welche Vögel beim Überwintern in Südafrika zu finden sind: (1) die in Europa Brütenden erreichen Südafrika, es gibt aber keine Wiederfunde von ihnen; (2) eine gemischte Population von Vögeln aus der Türkei, Iran und (Ost- und Mittel-)Kasachstan überwintern in Südafrika; (3) Vögel sowohl aus europäischen Populationen sowie aus solchen im Nahen und Mittleren Osten schaffen es bis nach Südafrika. Wir sequenzierten einen 492 Basenpaare großen Abschnitt in der mitochondrialen DNA, Kontrollregion III, aus 146 Stichproben aus fünf in Europa brütenden und einer in Südafrika überwinternden Population. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass mehr als 60% der in Südafrika überwinternden Vögel den „östlichen“und „westlichen Gruppen“der europäischen Haplotypen angehörten. Da wir die exakte haplotypische Zusammensetzung der Populationen aus dem Nahen und Mittleren Osten nicht kennen, können wir nicht ausschließen, dass die gemischte Überwinterungs-Population aus Vögeln aus diesen Gebieten gebildet wird; es erscheint aber wahrscheinlicher, dass auch in Europa brütende Vögel Südafrika erreichen.

Do the European Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus

AbstractFormer studies have shown that the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) has two genetically distinguishable haplogroups (a “western” and an “eastern” clade). The species occurs in South Africa from January to late March, yet, in the whole database of EURING, there are no recoveries to the south of the Congo. There are at least three hypotheses concerning which birds are seen wintering in South Africa: (1) the European breeders reach South Africa, but there are no ringing recoveries; (2) a mixed population of birds originating from Turkey, Iran and Kazakhstan (Near and Middle East) winters in South Africa; and (3) birds from Europe and the Near and Middle Eastern populations both reach South Africa. We have sequenced a 492-bp part of the mtDNA control region II in 146 samples from five European breeding and one South African wintering population of Great Reed Warblers. The results show that over 60% of the wintering birds in South Africa carry European haplotypes, belonging to both “eastern” and “western” clades. Since the exact haplotypic constitution of the Near and Middle Eastern populations are not known to us, we cannot exclude that a mixed wintering population is formed from birds originating from these regions, but it seems more likely that the European breeders reach South Africa.ZusammenfassungKommen Europäische Drosselrohrsänger (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) zum Überwintern bis nach Südafrika? Frühere Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass Drosselrohrsänger (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in zwei genetisch unterscheidbaren „Haplogruppen“vorkommen, einer westlichen und einer östlichen Gruppe. Die Art ist von Januar bis März in Südafrika anzutreffen, und tatsächlich zeigt die gesamte Datenbank EURING keinerlei Wiederfunde südlich des Kongo. Es gibt mindestens drei Hypothesen dazu, welche Vögel beim Überwintern in Südafrika zu finden sind: (1) die in Europa Brütenden erreichen Südafrika, es gibt aber keine Wiederfunde von ihnen; (2) eine gemischte Population von Vögeln aus der Türkei, Iran und (Ost- und Mittel-)Kasachstan überwintern in Südafrika; (3) Vögel sowohl aus europäischen Populationen sowie aus solchen im Nahen und Mittleren Osten schaffen es bis nach Südafrika. Wir sequenzierten einen 492 Basenpaare großen Abschnitt in der mitochondrialen DNA, Kontrollregion III, aus 146 Stichproben aus fünf in Europa brütenden und einer in Südafrika überwinternden Population. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass mehr als 60% der in Südafrika überwinternden Vögel den „östlichen“und „westlichen Gruppen“der europäischen Haplotypen angehörten. Da wir die exakte haplotypische Zusammensetzung der Populationen aus dem Nahen und Mittleren Osten nicht kennen, können wir nicht ausschließen, dass die gemischte Überwinterungs-Population aus Vögeln aus diesen Gebieten gebildet wird; es erscheint aber wahrscheinlicher, dass auch in Europa brütende Vögel Südafrika erreichen.

Kommen Europäische Drosselrohrsänger (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) zum Ü berwintern bis nach Südafrika

AbstractFormer studies have shown that the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) has two genetically distinguishable haplogroups (a “western” and an “eastern” clade). The species occurs in South Africa from January to late March, yet, in the whole database of EURING, there are no recoveries to the south of the Congo. There are at least three hypotheses concerning which birds are seen wintering in South Africa: (1) the European breeders reach South Africa, but there are no ringing recoveries; (2) a mixed population of birds originating from Turkey, Iran and Kazakhstan (Near and Middle East) winters in South Africa; and (3) birds from Europe and the Near and Middle Eastern populations both reach South Africa. We have sequenced a 492-bp part of the mtDNA control region II in 146 samples from five European breeding and one South African wintering population of Great Reed Warblers. The results show that over 60% of the wintering birds in South Africa carry European haplotypes, belonging to both “eastern” and “western” clades. Since the exact haplotypic constitution of the Near and Middle Eastern populations are not known to us, we cannot exclude that a mixed wintering population is formed from birds originating from these regions, but it seems more likely that the European breeders reach South Africa.ZusammenfassungKommen Europäische Drosselrohrsänger (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) zum Überwintern bis nach Südafrika? Frühere Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass Drosselrohrsänger (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in zwei genetisch unterscheidbaren „Haplogruppen“vorkommen, einer westlichen und einer östlichen Gruppe. Die Art ist von Januar bis März in Südafrika anzutreffen, und tatsächlich zeigt die gesamte Datenbank EURING keinerlei Wiederfunde südlich des Kongo. Es gibt mindestens drei Hypothesen dazu, welche Vögel beim Überwintern in Südafrika zu finden sind: (1) die in Europa Brütenden erreichen Südafrika, es gibt aber keine Wiederfunde von ihnen; (2) eine gemischte Population von Vögeln aus der Türkei, Iran und (Ost- und Mittel-)Kasachstan überwintern in Südafrika; (3) Vögel sowohl aus europäischen Populationen sowie aus solchen im Nahen und Mittleren Osten schaffen es bis nach Südafrika. Wir sequenzierten einen 492 Basenpaare großen Abschnitt in der mitochondrialen DNA, Kontrollregion III, aus 146 Stichproben aus fünf in Europa brütenden und einer in Südafrika überwinternden Population. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass mehr als 60% der in Südafrika überwinternden Vögel den „östlichen“und „westlichen Gruppen“der europäischen Haplotypen angehörten. Da wir die exakte haplotypische Zusammensetzung der Populationen aus dem Nahen und Mittleren Osten nicht kennen, können wir nicht ausschließen, dass die gemischte Überwinterungs-Population aus Vögeln aus diesen Gebieten gebildet wird; es erscheint aber wahrscheinlicher, dass auch in Europa brütende Vögel Südafrika erreichen.