Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)
216 Phylum Vertebrata declared a Bird Sanctuary of International Importance as a way of protecting the breeding numbers, in an area where the white-stork population is especially dense by Central European standards. Then came a bleak year in 1997, when the damaging effects suffered in Africa and during the spring migration led to catastrophic breeding results (BARBÁCSY 1997). In 2000, 357 nests recorded, with 317 occupied and 304 pairs successfully breeding. The average number of fledglings was a modest 2.5, while the mean figure for the whole population was 1.8 (BARBÁCSY 2000). In 2002, 365 white-stork nests were recorded, with fledglings in 272. That meant 32 pairs fewer than in 2000 bred successfully. Unfortunately, several good nesting sites remain empty (BARBÁCSY 2002). The white-stork population trends in Győr-Moson-Sopron County in 1986-93 were studied by SÁNDOR BALSAY. It became clear that there was a welcome increase in the population (BALSAY 1992 and 1993). Earlier, detailed figures were also made for neighbouring Burgenland (SEITZ 1935b and 1940; AUMÜLLER 1958). Several authors have examined breeding in the West Hungarian border region by the rare and strictly protected black stork (Ciconia nigra —SOLYMOSY 1930; HOMONNAY 1943 and 1967; CSABA 1966a, 1967a, 1976, 1982 and 1988; GERGYE 1967a; BECHTOLD 1970a; KÁRPÁTI 1979a; BARBÁCSY 1987a; FERSCH and VÁczi 1993). A national census in 2000 and comparisons with earlier counts were reported in the keynote contribution to the First National Conference on the Black Stork. 98 There are West Hungarian border region records from the Őrség and the FertőHanság National Park (KALOCSA and TAMÁS 2002). LÁSZLÓ MOLNÁR (1982a) published on the Hungarian crane (Grus grus) colonies in the 1976-80 period. He recorded colonies in the West Hungarian border region near Fertőrákos, Sopron, Rábatamási, Ikervár, Meggyeskovácsi and Kemestaródfa. It is interesting that ZAKÁL GYÖRGY NEMESNÉPI did not mention either the hazel grouse (Bonasa bonasia) or the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) in the Őrség. This is supported by present-day avifaunistic knowledge, for according to ISTVÁN CHERNÉL, the hazel grouse was spreading there in the period before the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, while the capercaillie only settled in Vas County about 1880. In other words, neither bird was present in the district early in the 19th century. JÓZSEF CSABA (1955a), however, quoted a study by BÉLA IVÁNYI (1943) as grounds for concluding that both the hazel grouse and the capercaillie occurred commonly in the Őrség at the beginning of the 17th century. IVÁNYI states that they were fed on the BATTHYÁNY estate, especially in and around Körmend, where the stewards were sending large quantities of produce, fish and game to Németújvár (Güssing), Rohonc (Rechnitz) and Szalónak (Stadtschlaining). ANDRÁS SOMOGYI in 1609 sent 'five grouse birds, very fine fresh ones' with the message that he could send more if needed. IVÁNYI also records that the BATTHYÁNY family received 'sparrowhawks' from Körmend in 1609, 1638, 1641 and I. Országos Feketególya Konferencia.
