Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)

Phylum Vertebrata 215 Chapter 12. However, other publications also consider bird diet in the West Hungarian border region along with distribution records for species in other taxa. JÓZSEF RÉKÁSI (1976a and 1976b) examined the stomach contents of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and tree sparrows (P. montanus). ISTVÁN STERBETZ (1991) studied the diet of dabbling ducks (Anas spp.) MIKLÓS VASVÁRI

97 (1928a, 1930a, 1935, 1939 and 1954) was concerned with the dietary ecology of several species, including the bittern (Botaurus stellaris), little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), purple heron (A. purpurea), great white egret (Egretta alba), little egret (E. garzetta) and Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus). Similar issues emerge in estimates and surveys of harm done to agriculture by bird species such as the rook (Corvus frugilegus), partridge (Perdix perdix) and jay (Garrulus glandarius

—JABLONOWSKI 1901a and 1901b; Soós 1904; THAISZ 1912; TILSCH 1907a and 1907b; VERTSE 1943). SÁNDOR MOGYORÓSI (1995a) studied bird diet in the Sopron Hills and Fertő district over 15 years. He mainly published data on plant foods, but some remains of animal origin caught by various birds, were included. ATTILA PELLINGER and MIKLÓS VÁCZI (1994) provided data on the diet of the peregrine (Falco peregrinus) on water meadows at Mekszikópuszta. Work on estimating the Hungarian population of various bird species began in the 1970s and 1980s. Researchers concentrated on species whose ecological role and economic importance had been less appreciated. A national census of rooks (Corvus frugilegus) was accomplished in the spring of 1980 after several years of smaller-scale counts. In 1979, 6108 pairs had been counted in Vas County and 7921 pairs in Győr-Moson-Sopron County (MERCSÁK 1980). The 1980 findings were 8173 and 7586 nesting pairs in 55 and 42 rookeries respectively (KALOTÁS 1982). The survey was repeated in 1984, revealing that national population of rooks had declined by 54 per cent since the previous count and the number of rookeries by 34.4 per cent. Vas County was among those to show the sharpest declines with a breedingpair count of 2878. Győr-Moson-Sopron County had 4207 pairs, while the numbers of colonies were 19 and 28 respectively (KALOTÁS 1985). SÁNDOR FARAGÓ (1989) also examined the stock of rooks in Vas County. The population, fluctuations and protection of the white stork (Ciconia ciconia), as one of the most conspicuous birds of the Hungarian countryside, occupied several earlier ornithologists (BREUER 1928d; KIRÁLY 1930b and 1931c; BERNRIEDER 1940). National inventories of storks have been compiled from local data (BANCSÓ and KEVE 1957; KEVE 1957C; HOMONNAY 1959, 1964 and 1967; JAKAB 1978, 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1992a, 1992b and 1993; SCHENK 1929a) and a new survey has been made more recently (TÓTH 1995). These sources show some recovery in Vas County after a trough was reached in the 1970s. The 1996 county survey showed a further increase to 338 pairs (BARBÁCSY 1996). It was proposed that Körmend and district should be 97 KEVE, A. 1950. Vasvári Miklós (1898-1945)... Aquila (1944-7) 51-4:45-8 and 48-51.