<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> This study was made in a postglacial relic bog in the Ócsa Protected Landscape Area in Hungary. Secondary succession of vegetation began after peat extraction and a grove-like forest evolved. Among the eight woodpecker species that occur in this area, the Great-spotted Woodpecker is the most abundant with the largest amount of data, it is for this reason we chose this species to study. The aims of this work were to detect changes in the abundance of the study species in relation to forest succession; to examine the seasonal patterns of these changes in abundance, and to identify any relationship between the height of the trees near the nets and the number of captured birds. We used the data from 1411 mist-netted Great-spotted Woodpeckers (1984- 2010), which were captured at the Ócsa Bird Ringing Station (120 standard mist nets). The assessment of forest succession rates were based on aerial photos (1979-2010). We measured the height of the vegetation, at 12 points, near each 12 m long net. Population growth of Great-spotted Woodpeckers was significantly correlated with the rate of afforestation. The majority of birds occurred only during the dispersal period. The pattern of the captures correlated well with the vegetation structure, not just with height, but also with vegetation quality as well</abstract>

Institute of Wildlife Management and Vertebrate Zoology, University of West Hungary, 9400 Sopron, Ady Endre utca 5., Hungary

Department of Anatomy, Cell- and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Hungary

Relationship between vegetation structure and abundance of Great-spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major) in a mosaic habitat

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> In birds, individuals may show different behavioural and physiological responses when handling, and such variation may be related to individual differences in antipredator strategies. We performed a pilot study in both breeding and wintering populations of the Great Tit (Parus major), and we characterised three typical behavioural traits during a standard ringing procedure in captured birds. We assessed between- individual variations in breath rate, pecking rate and the number of distress calls displayed in response to handling, and also calculated the within-individual variation of these traits by repeated behavioural measurements. We found that these behaviours were consistently displayed within individuals (with repeatability varying between 0.44 and 0.82), and there was also some modest correlation between them (e.g. breath rate covaried with the number of distress calls). Furthermore, using multivariate linear models assessing a role of some potential predictors we found that a considerable amount of between-individual variation can be explained by sex and age differences and also by variation in body condition. However, the magnitude and direction of these relationships was inconsistent across seasons. Our results are in line with previous findings that several consistent behavioural traits measured during human handling could reflect individual specific antipredator strategy, but some confounding effects cannot be ruled out. Hence, our preliminary results require careful interpretation, and further studies are needed to assess the exact magnitude by which different behavioural traits are inter-related</abstract>

Ecology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Hungary

Department of Plant Pathology, Corvinus University of Budapest, 1118 Budapest, Ménesi út 44., Hungary

Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Hungary

Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, c/Americo Vespucio, s/n 41092 Seville, Spain

University of Cordoba, Medina Azahara Avenue, 5 14071 Cordoba, Spain

Behavioural & Evolutionary Ecology Associate Research Unit, CSIC, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Passeig Picasso s/n, Barcelona 08003, Spain

Behavioural responses to handling stress in the Great Tit: within-individual consistency and the effect of age, sex and body condition

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> We investigated habitat preference of Common Sandpipers as part of a monitoring program in the Őrség National Park, Hungary. Field observations were conducted during the summers between 2008 and 2012 along a 47-km long section of the River Rába. During the observations we recorded the number and location of birds on the river bank. We divided the studied area into 1 km long sections and measured the proportion of the visually distinguishable habitat types (water, low gravel and sand bank, vegetation and degraded area) from a digitalized map. Furthermore, we recorded the number of the low banks and the number of bends of the river within each section, as well as the sections’ distance from the closest hydroelectric power plants and human settlements. In 2012 we also performed a detailed habitat mapping, recording the proportion of the vegetation types along the river bank and the number of fishing spots, embankment strengthenings and gravel banks. We tested the correlations between these habitat variables and number of birds present in the river sections. Our results show that Common Sandpipers were observed more frequently in locations which have (1) larger number and area of low gravel and sand banks, (2) less dense vegetation, and (3) lower proportion of degraded habitats. These findings can be taken into account in the conservation management of River Rába</abstract>

Ornithology Research Group, Department of Limnology, University of Pannonia, 8200 Veszprém, Wartha Vince utca 1., Hungary

Ornithology Research Group, Department of Limnology, University of Pannonia, 8200 Veszprém, Wartha Vince utca 1., Hungary, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK

Őrség National Park Directorate, 9941 Őriszentpéter, Siskaszer 26/a, Hungary

Habitat preference of Common Sandpipers (Actitis hypoleucos) along the River Rába, Hungary

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Intraspecific kleptoparasitism was studied in flock-fishing Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus during May and June 2011 and in Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo during September 2011 and August 2012 at Lake Krankesjön, South Sweden, for a total of c.11 h for grebes and c.6 h for cormorants. Only attempts to steal large fish (relative to a bird’s gape) were recorded, because small fish mostly did not elicit kleptoparasitic attempts and those seen appeared never to be successful. Attempts to steal large fish were rare, 0.14 h-1 grebe-1 (N = 96) and 0.39 h-1 cormorant-1 (N = 163). In both species, the host lost its fish in about 20% of cases. Based on the observed low parasitism and success rates, it is concluded that kleptoparasitism was a minor cost of participating in flock-fishing</abstract>

Intraspecific kleptoparasitism in flock-fishing Great Crested Grebes (Podiceps cristatus) and Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) – a cost to participants?

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> During a twenty five days trip in Uganda a brief faunistic survey of birds, mammals and reptiles was performed. Altogether 380 bird species were observed in six National Parks and some other protected areas in the summer of 2012. From these 64 bird species are discussed here selected according the following criteria: rarity, occurrence in a new habitat or geographic area, and emergence of novel breeding phenological data of certain species. Our new records of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) along the Kazinga Channel (between Lake Edward and Lake George) are outside the current distribution range of the species. The House sparrow expanded its area about 800 km toward west from their first record in Nairobi in 1992. Our new records on White-tailed Ant-thrush (Neocossyphus poensis), Red-tailed Ant-thrush (Neocossyphus rufus), Papyrus Yellow Warbler (Chloropeta gracilirostris), Shelley’s Rufous Sparrow (Passer shelley) and Streaky Seedeater (Serinus striolatus) also require the correction of distribution maps of this species in Uganda. In addition we give some remarks on the breeding phenology of Mountain Wagtail (Motacilla clara), Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher (Muscicapa cassini) and Northern Red Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus). Our recent observational data of African Skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris) may have importance for the Bonn Convention. These observations might be important from conservation and ecotouristic point of views</abstract>

Bird Collection, Hungarian Natural History Museum, 1088 Budapest, Baross utca 13., Hungary

Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Hungary

2230 Gyömrő, Köztársaság utca 27., Hungary

Distribution and phenological data of some bird species of Uganda

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 31 (2023): Issue 2 (December 2023)

Volume 31 (2023): Issue 1 (June 2023)

Volume 30 (2022): Issue 2 (December 2022)

Volume 30 (2022): Issue 1 (June 2022)

Volume 29 (2021): Issue 2 (December 2021)

Volume 29 (2021): Issue 1 (June 2021)

Volume 28 (2020): Issue 2 (December 2020)

Volume 28 (2020): Issue 1 (June 2020)

Volume 27 (2019): Issue 2 (December 2019)

Volume 27 (2019): Issue 1 (June 2019)

Volume 26 (2018): Issue 2 (December 2018)

Volume 26 (2018): Issue 1 (June 2018)

Volume 25 (2017): Issue 2 (December 2017)

Volume 25 (2017): Issue 1 (June 2017)

Volume 24 (2016): Issue 2 (December 2016)

Volume 24 (2016): Issue 1 (June 2016)

Volume 23 (2015): Issue 2 (December 2015)

Volume 23 (2015): Issue 1 (June 2015)

Volume 22 (2014): Issue 2 (December 2014)

Volume 22 (2014): Issue 1 (June 2014)

Volume 21 (2013): Issue 2 (December 2013)

Volume 21 (2013): Issue 1 (June 2013)

Volume 20 (2012): Issue 2 (December 2012)

Volume 20 (2012): Issue 1 (June 2012)

Ornis Hungarica

 Ornis Hungarica is one of the oldest professional, peer-reviewed ornithological journals in East and Central Europe and unique in the Carpathian Basin. It was first published in 1991 by BirdLife Hungary (Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society - www.mme.hu) and became listed in the largest scientific databases and indexing services over this 30-year period.  The journal publishes original research articles, reviews, and short communications from all regions of the world. Manuscripts from all fields of ornithology are considered for publication, especially focusing on the ecology, morphology, behaviour, evolution, biogeography and conservation of birds. Studies advancing our understanding of living or extinct bird species, populations or assemblages are all welcome.  The journal publishes papers in English, but the abstracts, figure captions and table titles are both in English and Hungarian supporting the dissemination of scientific knowledge to the Hungarian community. For non-Hungarian authors, the translations will be prepared by the editors.  The accepted manuscripts are published in two issues per year, both online and in print. The online version of all articles are freely available for downloading (open access). All volumes and issues are archived on the publisher’s site from 2012 to date. Ornis Hungarica aims to publish as rapidly as possible. Reviewers are assigned to each manuscript within 2 days after submission, on average. The full process, including technical editing and correcting the final proofs, is usually finished within 60 days.  Rejection Rate   50%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 