Every wild living bird observation can be uploaded to our site, but we prefer to get data about rare and scarce, and regionally interesting birds. Common species that are common in the whole coutry in every season (eg. Great Tit, Blackbird, Magpie, Common Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Mallard, Greenfinch) are only preferred only on good grounds (eg. exceptionally great flock).

You can find the status of all species in birding.hu species list.

Birding.hu aims to have a database of Hungarian birds which is up-to-date and reliable.

Data accepted only from real persons.

The age of birds can be told in some cases. Tipically long living and slow maturing birds show different plumage in their first years. The following age groups are distinguished:

pull. = pullus - nestling (has no flight feathers)

juv. = juvenilis - young (changed nestling plumage, but hatched only this year)

imm.  = immaturus - not mature (in many cases similar to adult, but different plumage, not breeding yet)

subad.  = subadult - nearly adult (specimen of slowly maturing species (eg. bigger birds of prey) similar plumage to adults, able to breed)

ad. = adult - adult (tipical plumage of the species)

Uploaded pictures can be seen on the personal profile page of the uploader.

Galleries show images approved by administrators.

Red colour:  The species has to be reported to the Hungarian Rarities Committee. Please write a report and try to take a photo of the bird. The observed bird indicated with red colour has not been reported yet. After HRC's annual report the unreported data are deleted from birding.hu.

Orange colour: HRC has got a report about the observation, but not accepted yet.

Green colour:  HRC has accepted the report.

There are Rarities Committees in most European countries. In Hungary it is MME Hungarian Rarities Committee (HRC). HRC has a list of the most rare bird species that requires report when observed.

Report required for species, that has fewer than 40 valid records in last 10 years.

The report is necessary, so HRC can decide that observation is correct beyond doubt so it can be validated.

Of course validation is easier if there are photos, videos or sound records or multiple observers.

The report has to be as detailed as possible, there is a downloadable form that helps report writing.

You can find further information in "Hungarian Rarities Committee" menu.

Bird species living in wild in Hungary are categorized to the following categories:

Category A: species which has been recorded in apparently wild state at least once since January 1, 1950. (Most species in Hungarian avifauna belong to this category.)

Category B: species which has been recorded in apparently wild state inside the current borders of Hungary only between 1800 and 1949.

Category C: species recorded in Hungary originating from a population that has established a self-supporting breeding population from released or escaped birds.

Category Da: species which has been recorded at least once since January 1, 1950, but originating from introduced population can not be excluded.

Category De: species which has been recorded at least once since January 1, 1950, but  originating from non-introduced wild state is not likely.

Category E: species recorded in Hungary, but originating from captivity beyond reasonable doubt.

Abbreviation for Western Palearctic biogeographic region (ecozone). The region includes Europe, North-Africa, and the most of the Middle-East:

(map borrowed from Netfugl.dk)

Birding.hu offers a place for keeping records of your personal lists.

Lists have certain regulations. The most important rule is, there is a geographical range for each list, birds observed in the range can be counted on the list.

There are lists (eg. garden list) where only the total number of observed species  can be given.

There are lists with more srtict regulations (eg. Hungary life list), where you have to tick the species in a checklist. Rarities should be commented (place and date of sighting).

Listing is a good game, but remember, a ranks do not always correlate with skills.

If you sign in to "Hungary life list", a program chooses your ten most rare species (here rare means the fewest people have seen them)  and the ten most common (most people seen) species you don't have on your list. These are going to be your best and bogey bird species.

Best and bogey birds can change even if you do not change anything on your list as others record new species. You can use bogey birds to check if you miss a common species on your list by accident.

The term "twitcher", sometimes misapplied as a synonym for birder, is  reserved for those who travel long distances to see a rare bird that  would then be "ticked", or checked off, on a list.

Keeping lists of bird observations makes you able to count the number in a country.

Club 300 is a virtual club. Its members have seen at least 300 bird species in wild state in Hungary.

Hungarian avifauna counts more than 400 species, so getting into Club 300 is not exceptionally hard, maybe it is even possible to have 350 species.

Sign in with your old e-mail address and password, and click on "Edit my Profile" button. You can edit your e-mail address. Next time you can sign in (only!) with the new address.

In case you have forgotten the password and your old e-mail is not working (ie. we can not send you the password), you have to register again.

Please contact Birdlife Hungary.