László Bozó, Tibor Csörgő

Temporal patterns of Asian and North American vagrant bird records in the Carpathian Basin (2000–2024)

Abstract The occurrence of Asian and North American vagrant birds has been extensively studied in Western and Northern Europe, but comprehensive analyses from Eastern Europe remain scarce. We analysed 537 records of 56 vagrant bird species in Hungary between 2000 and 2024 that the Hungarian Rarities Committee accepted. We investigated the temporal trends, seasonal occurrence, and species-specific patterns of these species. Of these, 36 species originated from Asia and 20 from North America. Asian vagrants were dominated by passerines, whereas North American species consisted primarily of shorebirds and other waterbirds. The total number of species and observations increased significantly during the study period, although contrasting patterns emerged between the two geographic groups. North American species showed no significant long-term increase and exhibited a pronounced autumn occurrence peak. In contrast, Asian species increased significantly in both the number of species and observation frequency and occurred mainly during spring and autumn. Seasonal patterns differed among taxonomic groups, reflecting variation in migration strategies and breeding distributions. The species breeding closest to Europe were more frequently recorded during spring migration, while most North American shorebirds and Asian passerines showed distinct autumn peaks. Among the most frequently observed species, Sociable Lapwing and Yellow-browed Warbler exhibited significant increases in occurrence. Our results suggest that geographic position, migratory behaviour, climate-driven range shifts, and the emergence of new migratory pathways jointly influence vagrancy patterns in the Carpathian Basin. The increasing occurrence of Asian species is likely associated with westward range expansion and ongoing changes in Eurasian migration systems.

Doi Vagrancy; migration; Yellow-browed Warbler; Sociable Lapwing; Nearctic shorebirds

Keywords Vagrancy; migration; Yellow-browed Warbler; Sociable Lapwing; Nearctic shorebirds

Full text