A Organized by the Waterfowl Protection Department of the Hungarian Ornithological and Conservation Association (MME), the synchronized count of different seagull species took place for the third time between November 15 and 18. The purpose of the survey was to get a more accurate understanding of the number of seagulls migrating through Hungary and wintering here, as well as the ratio of species. A total of 27 landfills and 33 overnight sites were surveyed, and based on the data received from these areas, it can be stated that there were at least 63,707 seagulls in the country during the survey weekend.
As in the past, the amounts counted at the landfills were not included in the total, only the birds counted at the roosting places, since the birds that feed during the day are likely to spend the night in nearby water bodies, so they would be counted twice. Exceptions to this are the rarer species, which are no longer so easy, or even impossible, to determine at the place where they spend the night. Despite this, landfill surveys are essential, as based on these data it is possible to break down the estimated amount of “large-bodied gulls” in roosting areas into species using the ratios found in nearby landfills.
During the survey, the greatest number of eagles were observed, the surveyors counted around 50,000 individuals. The largest number of individuals were spotted in Szeged, a total of 14,030, but 12,899 Great Danes were also present in the Hortobágy area during the weekend of the broadcast.
Storm gulls have not shown themselves in large numbers yet, as they are usually the first to arrive with severe frosts, but about a thousand specimens were recorded from Lake Fertő and a total of 1,742 storm gulls were spotted in different areas of the country. A Siberian storm-gull (Larus canus heinei) was also observed in Debrecen.
The proportion of large-bodied seagulls developed in a particularly interesting way. A clear predominance of yellow-legged gulls was observed in the western part of the country, while steppe gulls prevailed in the east, so unlike previous surveys, yellow-legged gulls were also found in significant numbers. It has long been assumed that this is the case and that the difference can be so contrasting, but this is the first synchronicity when the western and eastern halves of the country are so sharply separated from each other. It is expected that the ratios will become more balanced by the December synchronization.
Large-bodied seagulls occurred in total between 1,000 and 2,300 specimens at each of the major roosting sites. Of all the areas, Lake Fertő was the only one where, after the extrapolation, a predominance of yellow-legged gulls was recorded.
In the case of Balaton (41.7 percent yellow-legged gull), Csala, Győr, Szombathely and Várpalota; Csala, Várpalota, Pusztázámor and Dömsöd are close to Lake Velencei (almost 34 percent yellow-legged gulls); For Lake Fertő (82.6 percent yellow-legged gull) those from Győr and Szombathely; to Tatabánya’s Old Lake (24.3 percent yellow-legged gull); for the Southern Great Plain habitats (7.14 percent yellow-legged gull) those in Szeged and Hódmezővásárhely; For the Hortobágy region (15 percent yellow-legged gull), Debrecen, Hajdúböszörmény, Karcag; For Nagyhalász, Tisza-tó and Nyékládház mine lakes (10.4 percent yellow-legged gulls), the data from Debrecen, Hejőpapi and Hajdúböszörmény were used in the breakdown of the number of roosting gull flocks into species.
A total of 11,326 large-bodied gulls were observed, of which 2,902 were recorded as yellow-legged gulls and 9,012 as steppe gulls.
Based on the previous surveys, the monthly differences are beginning to emerge, but after the next synchronizations, it will be worthwhile to analyze the eastern and western areas of the country separately.
The surveyors also noticed a particularly large number of colorful ringed birds. A total of 52 different ringed gulls were recorded, twenty of which were spotted in Budapest and the rest in landfills. Perhaps one of the most exciting was a herring gull, which was marked as a nestling in Lithuania in 2010. It was observed in Poland that same year, in 2012 at the Sopron landfill and in 2021 at the Győr landfill. This year, it appeared in Győr on October 13, and again on November 17, during the dubbing.
The above table summarizes the data of the scanned birds. A total of 35 Great Dane’s Gulls, 5 Yellow-legged Gulls, 11 Steppe Gulls and one Herring Gull were scanned during the synchronization. Among the landfills, the surveyors counted the most birds (14) in Pusztazámor.
There was no shortage of rarer species, as 13 herring gulls, 16 herring gulls, and 6 light-backed herring gulls (both graellsii and intermedius) were recorded.
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Source: magyarnemzet.hu
