Birding in Hungary X
26 July 2026
Today, after going to the Szabadkígyósi market, we went for a walk in the Kígyósi Nagyerdő. We started by seeing some insects, notably a few European Hornets, and a few Cardinals. As we kept walking, we saw some Long-tailed Tits, though they were sadly from the europaeus group, and lacked the white heads of the nominate ones that we love seeing when here.
We later saw a Hoopoe, a couple Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and a Roller. We were lucky to hear several male Golden Orioles calling to each other.
I think they are one of the few beautiful birds whose songs are just as lovely. Rollers, Kingfishers, and Mandarin Ducks all have resplendant plumage, though their calls are quite simple and the latter remains mostly silent. Golden Oriole however, has a name sake saffron and black plumage with a melodic and bubbly call.
We later heard a bird that I had been wanting to see since I started researching the avifauna of Hungary, several years ago... The Black Woodpcker. Despite only hearing it call a couple times, and not being able to see it, this was nonetheless a memorable experience.
