Members of the Hungarian Ornithological Institute (MME) have spotted a rare bird of prey, a black-winged kite, on the outskirts of Dunaszeg. This is the seventh time they have recorded the species in Hungary, the group said on its Facebook page.
This article was originally published on our sister-site, Ungarn Heute.
The bird lives mainly in the tropical and Mediterranean climates of Africa and Asia, while in Europe it breeds only on the Iberian Peninsula and in southern France, although it has also spread northward.
The predator feeds on small mammals, birds, reptiles, and larger insects.
The sighted specimen hovered over a reed area and could be observed until dusk. He spent the night in an aspen tree. Birdwatchers who arrived early the next day were unable to see him after all, as he barely showed himself the next day due to the gale-force winds. Later he was also seen in a neighboring pasture, but was not found thereafter.
The birdwatcher also found two snowy plovers, another new species for Szigetköz. The snow bunting is one of the most northerly distributed bunting species in Eurasia. The southern limit of its range roughly coincides with the tundra-taiga boundary. It breeds on water edges, on barren rocks, on lichen-covered fields, and even in settlements.
Featured image via the Hungarian Ornithological Institute (MME) Kisalföld Group’s Facebook page