Since the guide moved outside Budapest only 2 or more day birding tours are possible. For half day and day trips we are searching for a birding guide.

Budapest lies right on the border of the Hungarian Great Plain, the so called ”puszta”. This vast lowland is the transition zone between the deciduous forests of Western Europe and the steppes of the east, hence it is made up from the mosaics of grasslands and forest patches, maintaining a unique ecosystem, often referred to as the Pannonian Ecoregion. Only a few kilomtres SE from Budapest you can find large flocks of Great Bustards, colonies of Red-footed Falcons and Bee-eaters as well as several other species that rarely come up in western countries. Our tours focus on the areas of the Kiskunsag National Park, which is one of the three national parks in the ”puszta”.

Half day birdwatching: The Upper-Kiskunsag Alkaline Steppes
Though these steppes are flat as a pancake, several habitat types can be found on them ranging from dry grasslands with sparse vegetation to extensive reedbeds and lakes. During breeding time the wetlands are home to Little and Great White Egrets, Purple Herons, Spoonbills, Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Mediterranean Gulls, Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns. A few pairs of Collared Pratincoles also breed in the area. Drier points are inhabited by Stone-curlews, Rollers, Bee-eaters, Tawny Pipits, Little Grey Shrikes, etc.

The population of Great Bustards is well above 100 pairs here but the total count for the Kiskunság National Park is more than 600 individuals. The Red-footed Falcon has become an endangered species, but they can still form remarkable colonies here. Their relative, the Saker Falcon is also a regular breeder of the area. In spring and in autumn, a multitude of transient shorebirds visit the wetlands and it is always exciting to examine their huge flocks in search for rarities such as the Marsh Sandpiper. Cranes also stop here in good numbers on their way to or from the Skandinavian breeding sites. There is a fishpond in the area, too, which serves as a perfect feeding ground for shorebirds, if drained. In winter, the puszta seems rather desolate but some wintering species, like Merlin, Hen Harrier, Rough-legged Buzzard, Water Pipit or Great Grey Shrike are worth looking for. Thousands of geese spend the winter on the arable fields surrounding the steppes. Most of them are Greater White-fronted Geese, but an observant eye may find some Red-breasted or Lesser White-fronted Geese among them. Caspian Gulls visit the area all year round. All winter tours count as half-day tours.