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During the early 21st century, the Carpathian Basin was recognised as one of the world's most important migratory area for the Common Crane, but it is not completely clear, what was its status during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Between 1897 and 1916, a total of 1487 field observation data were published in the journal Aquila from the Carpathian Basin. Our work analysed the timing of the spring migration, how it differed between years and geographical regions, and how the temperature and geographical variables reported above influenced the timing of the migration. The results show that the migration routes of the species have changed significantly over the last century. During the study period, the migration concentrated in the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin, and was particularly rare in the Great Hungarian Plain. There was on average a two-week difference in the timing of migration between the western and eastern parts and between different years. The start and peak of migration were weeks later than today, and this change is mainly due to the effects of climate change. Geographical factors did not influence the migration of the species, whereas higher air temperatures advanced the timing of the migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, several explanations for vagrancy of North Asian bird species in Europe have been suggested. The explanations can typically be divided into two, non‐exclusive groups. Some cite weather factors as the primary cause of vagrancy, whereas others hypothesize an internal defect behind the phenomenon. In addition, some authors also suggest climate‐driven range expansion following breeding population increase as a contributing factor. In recent years, studies have been published that have provided clear evidence for the origin of vagrant birds, as well as the reasons for their vagrancy. Here we summarize current knowledge and conclude that weather, habitat use, feeding habit, breeding success and climate change are important factors that affect the vagrancy of birds, together with the number of observers playing an important role in contributing data. In the future, advances in technology such as the development of tracking systems and the extensive use of stable isotopes will make it possible to explain the causes of vagrancy more precisely, so further research in this area of ornithology is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Common Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis) is a species with an extremly large distribution range. Its European population is the strongest in the Mediterranean, but it also breeds in Central Europe. It still nests in small numbers in the Carpathian Basin, but has become extinct as a breeder in Hungary, where it was never a common species. In the present study, we summarised the occurrences of the species in the Carpathian Basin published in the literature. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a large amount of observational data on the spring migration of the species was collected, which allowed us to describe the migration phenology of that time. The Common Rock Thrush bred in small numbers in mountainous areas of Hungary, in natural habitats and in mines, vineyards and orchards. The collapse of the population occurred in the 1970s, but thereafter a few pairs bred in Hungary until the 2010s. Very few published records were found in Slovakia and Romania, which does not give a true picture of its former distribution there. However, its population has also declined drastically in Romania and it has become extinct as nesting species in Slovakia. The exact cause of the decline cannot be determined and several explanations have been proposed in recent decades. It is likely that the Carpathian Basin population, which is considered to be an edge-population, has been more exposed to negative changes, such as climate change, chemical inputs or changes in wintering grounds. A century earlier, the median date of the first spring returns was mid-April, but sometimes it was observed as early as late March. Nowadays, vagrant individuals have been observed again several times in Hungary, which gives us some hope for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The woodpecker family (Picidae) includes numerous species that vary in size and plumage colouration, but which share many easily recognisable external features. These birds possess pronounced anatomical adaptions that enable them to exploit arboreal habitats and live in niches that are inaccessible to most other birds. The aim of this study was to increase our knowledge on the relationships between skull shape, habitat preference, pecking abilities and foraging habits of 10 European woodpecker species. A geometric morphometric approach was used to analyse two-dimensional cranial landmarks. We used principal component (PC) analyses on those measurements that may be related to habitat preference and foraging habits. The PCs resulted in descriptions of the relative length and width of the bill, variation in its relative size, orientation of the nostrils variation in the elongation of the neurocranium, the relative size and position of the palatine bone, length of the rostrum, and the thickness of the mandible bone. The analysis showed and confirmed the presence of some cranial elements that are strongly associated with habitat preference, pecking behaviour and excavation abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, the European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) became the 'Bird of The Year' in Hungary, which makes it very timely to summarise our knowledge about the status of the species in the country and to emphasise conservation priorities. In Hungary, the species is a common, widespread breeder of dry roadside grass strips, abandoned ploughlands, bushy slopes and vineyards. It is most likely in the arid habitats between the Danube and Tisza and east of the Tisza. The largest populations also breed in these regions. The Hungarian population was estimated at 195,000–210,000 pairs between 2014 and 2018. The breeding population halved between 1999 and 2018, though it was stable until 2004. The breeding period begins from late March to early April and lasts until the end of July. First males arrive in February, and spring migration peaks in early March. Autumn migration peaks in late September. Few may overwinter. The number of birds ringed in Hungary since 1951 is 13,484, of which 1,401 were juvenile. Three birds ringed in Hungary were found abroad (Italy 2, Greece 1), and two specimens marked abroad (Croatia, Italy) were found in Hungary. The oldest bird was recaptured 1679 days after its ringing day in Hungary. The average body mass of juveniles increased significantly for both sexes by an average of 0.9 grams over 22 years. In the case of all age and sex groups, the average body mass increased during the autumn season. The average wing length of adults also increased during the autumn. The arrival time of either sex during spring migration did not change significantly between 1999 and 2020. In the case of all age and sex groups, the arrival time shifted later in autumn migration. The European Stonechat belongs to the red list category Near Threatened in Hungary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different elements of weather, such as wind speed, wind direction, precipitation and temperature are very important regulators of bird migration. Weather conditions also play role on the body condition such as body mass and the deposited fat. In this study we selected four warbler species to examine the impact of different weather variables on their spring and autumn migration timing and their body condition in one of the most extreme weather areas of the Earth, at Lake Baikal in Siberia. We also studied the changes in body mass and fat reserves during the spring and autumn migration periods of these species. For the analyses, we used ringing data of 2471 birds from five spring and five autumn seasons during 2015-2019. According to our results, it can be stated that the weather did not have a significant association with the migration timing of the studied warblers, perhaps due to the geographical location of the study site. However, the body mass and the fat reserves of the birds increased during unsuitable weather conditions because of the increased energy requirements. Birds generally migrate with low fat reserves, which is due to the fact that this area is not an important stopover site for these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]