Hungary Ramsar wetland
Little Balaton
203 bird species recorded; the most in April.
Jarba · CC BY 3.0
This month here
73 species in January.52 species in February.69 species in March.153 species in April.134 species in May.104 species in June.119 species in July.128 species in August.138 species in September.134 species in October.80 species in November.79 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
NT
NT
NT
VU
NT
NT
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
203 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 203Speciesrecorded more than once
- 117Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 7ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 7,735Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 106 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 18Raptors
- 1Owls
- 22Waders
- 12Gulls & seabirds
- 23Ducks & geese
- 16Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 81Songbirds
- 27Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 203 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors18 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Greater spotted eagleAquila clanga
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Eastern Imperial EagleAquila heliacaVU
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
Owls1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
Waders22 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
Gulls & seabirds12 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Little TernSternula albifrons
Ducks & geese23 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- SmewMergellus albellus
- Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
Herons, ibises & grebes16 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Microcarbo pygmaeusMicrocarbo pygmaeus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
- Pygmy CormorantMicrocarbo pygmeus
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- Common CraneGrus grus
Songbirds81 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Eurasian River WarblerLocustella fluviatilis
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Collared FlycatcherFicedula albicollis
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
Other birds27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- CootFulica atra
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- Porzana parvaPorzana parva
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- European SwiftApus apus
- Syrian WoodpeckerDendrocopos syriacus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- White-backed WoodpeckerDendrocopos leucotos
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in April.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan2°/-4°39 mm
- Feb5°/-3°47 mm
- Mar11°/1°47 mm
- Apr17°/6°45 mm
- May22°/11°75 mm
- Jun26°/15°76 mm
- Jul29°/17°72 mm
- Aug29°/16°71 mm
- Sep22°/11°83 mm
- Oct16°/6°64 mm
- Nov9°/2°56 mm
- Dec3°/-3°50 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Little Balaton.
Protected area in Hungary
Little Balaton is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Hungary.
203 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 7,735 open records.
The most recorded are the Greylag Goose, the Mallard and the Mute Swan.
78 species come for the summer, 37 for the winter and 2 only pass through.
7 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, European Turtle Dove and Curlew Sandpiper.
The most species are recorded in April.
Get there and watch
- Állati Jó Réti Táborcampsite · 7.8 km · 4 within 10 km
- Herkules Apartmanplace to stay · 8.2 km · 31 within 10 km
- Zalakarosnearest town · 7.6 km in a straight line
- Hévíz–Balaton Airport (SOB)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 6 km in a straight lineCar hire at ZAG airport (Velika Gorica)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1bird hides within 6 kmMadárvárta
- 10observation towers within 6 kmMadárles kilátó / Zsilipház, Nagyradai kilátó, Madárfigyelő torony and 7 more
- 1marked trails within 4 kmSzent Jakab út Via Pannonia – fő ág és rövid alternatív szakaszok
- 1visitor centres within 6 kmPénztár - tickets
- 8viewpoints within 5 kmMadárfigyelő torony, Zsilip kilátó and 6 more
- 4car parks within 3 km
- 3restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmÁllati Jó Réti Tábor, Camping Oase, Balatontourist Termál Kemping Zalakaros and 1 more
- 31places to stay within 10 kmHerkules Apartman, Yellow House, Hajni Apartman and 28 more
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Little Balaton.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas12 mountains within 25 kmKonkolyos · 11 kmVeréb-hegy · 17 kmRózsa-hegy · 18 kmÖreg-hegy · 20 kmÖrvényes · 22 kmPölöskei Erdő · 23 kmSzőllő-hegy · 24 kmÖreg János-dombja · 25 km
Cavernyas2 caves within 20 kmGyenesdiási Vadlány Hole · 20 kmCserszegtomaj Wellcave · 20 km
Riveryasthe river nearbyZala138 km · 6.0 m³/s↗Völgységi Stream
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Little Balaton
Hungary
- 80Birdyas Score
- 203Species
- 117Migrants
- 7Threatened
Velence and Dinnyés Nature Conservation Area
Hungary · 122 km
- 87Birdyas Score
- 234Species
- 144Migrants
- 10Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q725707) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 7,735 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Cavernyas, Riveryas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit