EAF Projects HungaryThe Conservation of Great Bustards in Hungary.

The Great Bustard (Otis tarda) is one of Europe's largest, and most impressive, birds, the males reaching more than a meter in length with a weight of 18 kg. However, its numbers are in steep decline and it is officially listed as Vulnerable; there are only perhaps 30,000 individuals remaining in Europe. The primary reason has been loss of habitat. Humans have relentlessly converted its natural habitat of flat or rolling open, short-grass plains (savannah), usually clear of trees, into arable and agricultural land. Irrigation and monoculture, together with pesticide use, electric cables, over-grazing by sheep and cattle and disturbance have all played their part. Harvesting crops destroys many nests and chicks. It has recently become extinct in Poland, Bulgaria and the former land territory of Yugoslavia. The main strong-holds for the species are now Spain and Russia, with more than 80% the population. Of all the remaining countries only Hungary and Turkey holds more than 1000 individuals.

In Hungary, the population reached as many as 8500 birds in the 1940's and, today, the species is strictly protected. Efforts are now being made to conserve the habitat needed by the Great Bustard in order to give it a chance to survive and, hopefully, recover. The area that has been chosen is the Bihar plain and Hortobagy National Park which together hold about a third of Hungary's fragmented population.

Bustard habitat in Hungary
Bihar is a poorly-drained flood plain situated between alluvial fans and overlain by meadow and saline soils. The area is dominated by saline grasslands which form a mosaic with the extensive arable lands. Currently, 711 ha. of the area are recognised as an Important Bird Area and is designated a Nature Conservation Area. A further 17,095 ha. is designated a Landscape Protected Area. Hortobagy lies on the Hungarian great Plain east of the river Tisza and Hortobagy represents the largest puszta landscape in Hungary, an open plain dominated by saline grasslands with, again, extensive arable lands. Here, 62,358 ha. is designated as a National Park, 16,109 ha. as a Ramsar Site and 52,000 ha. is recognised as a Biosphere Reserve.

The project
EAF has now funded five different projects led by the Hortobagy Nature Protection Fund and the Bihar Public Foundation for Nature Protection to help the conservation of the Great Bustard in Hungary. In both cases, the Hortobagy National Park is closely connected with the work. In the Bihar Plains, 303 ha. of alkaline pasture have been purchased in the Bihar Plain. Native sheep, called Racka, are being used as more environmentally-friendly grazers than imported varieties. The Hortobagy Nature Protection Public Fund have purchased 45 ha. of saline grassland adding to the 426 ha. land already owned or leased. In these areas, former rice-swamps and a goose farm have been restored to a short-grass, saline steppe with a pond and occasional patches of high grasses. The Foundation also sows 60-90 ha. of rape seed each year to encourage the survival of the Great Bustard. The land is already being used as a feeding and display area by the birds. There are also ideal sites for observation. Four additional wetland areas, covering 350 ha., are now also providing habitat conditions for other nesting and migrating bird species. Again, traditional grazing animals like the Hungarian Grey cow, buffalo, woolly Mangaliza pig and Racka sheep will be used to replace machines. Other measures taken are the introduction of crop rotation and biological farming. The site will be preserved as a regional protected area to create a buffer zone around the core zone of the National Park. The project is also producing hay which is used not only to feed the livestock in winter but the excess of which is also sold thus contributing an additional € 23000 to the project.

Longer term plans
The organisations have a long term plan of which the EAF funding is playing a crucial part. It is the intention to enlarge the habitats so that a mosaic of different types will provide near-to-natural living conditions for a wide variety of fauna and flora. In both areas, the Great Bustards are having to contend with loss of habitat due to farming practices as well as goose farming - grazing and excrement from 6000 geese - which further causes deterioration of the vegetation. Hunting also remains a problem. Purchasing the land by these conservation organisations will snuff out the goose farms and restore the steppe lands to their former glory.

Organisations and Budgets
The Bihar Public Foundation for Nature Protection received a budget of € 110,340 whilst the Hortobagy Nature Protection Public Fund has received € 164,860.