One of Europe's largest national parks, the Hortobágy offers some of the continent’s most exciting birdwatching, including the spectacular sight of thousands of migrating cranes and geese.
The sweeping landscapes of the steppe country extend across a huge swathe of temperate Eurasia, eastwards to Mongolia. In only one place does a part of this vast steppe wilderness extend a finger into Europe: the plains of Eastern Hungary. This is the Hortobágy, an ancient floodplain of steppe grassland whose unspoiled meadows are interspersed with marshes and pools. Apart from the odd scattered woodland, nothing breaks the skyline of this immense open landscape.
In autumn great bustards form flocks on the Hortobágy plains, which they share with migrant stone curlew and dotterel. Raptor numbers can be impressive here too, and these prey upon the abundant susliks (European ground squirrels) and other small mammals.
The Hortobágy fishponds are large, man-made lakes surrounded by reeds which make a superb feeding ground for birds that include pygmy cormorant, a variety of herons, wildfowl including ferruginous duck, and many migrant waders. The reedbeds here hold flocks of bearded and penduline tits. Long-eared owls also roost in the area.
Visit sites along Europe’s main eastern flyway for cranes – at their peak, there can be up to 60,000 cranes in the area, making this one of Europe’s great wildlife spectacles. We also explore the Zemplén Hills for a range of raptors and other forest specialities including owls and woodpeckers. Find out more about Z) Hungary’s Steppe & Forests in Autumn
In In May, the wetlands and grassy plains of the Hortobagy teem with resident and migrant breeding birds, including the magnificent great bustard, while the forests of the Zemplen Hills are home to raptors and other forest specialities such as Ural owl, as well as the famed Tokaj vineyards. Find out more about Z) Hungary’s Steppe & Forests in Spring
