Zsuzsa Gyimothy 1, Jozsef Gyuracz J.2, Laszlo Bank L.3,
Peter Banhidi P. 3, Roland Farkas4, Akos Nemeth5,
Tibor Csorg?6
1University of West Hungary, Faculty of Forestry, Sopron H-9400,
Ady Endre. u. 5., Hungary
2Berzsenyi College, Department of Zoology, Szombathely H-9700, Karolyi
Gaspar. ter 4., Hungary
3BirdLife Hungary, Budapest H-1121, Kolt? u. 21., Hungary
4Aggtelek National Park, Josvaf? H-3758, Tengerszem oldal 1., Hungary
5Kiskunsag National Park, Kecskemet H-6001, Liszt Ferenc u. 19., Hungary
6Loránd Eötvös University, Department of Anatomy, Cell and
Development Biology, Budapest H-1117, Pázmány Péter sétány
1/C, Hungary
gyjozsi@bdtf.hu 2
The autumn migration of the Robin Erithacus rubecula was studied
using data on birds captured from 13 August to 27 October of 2004 in Izsak,
Ocsa (Central Hungary), Sumony (Southern Hungary), Szalonna (Northern
Hungary) and Tomord (Western Hungary) bird ringing stations of Actio
Hungarica. During this period 3671 individuals were captured at the five study
sites. The migration patterns of the Robin populations were analysed, based on
daily captures and 599 recaptures of ringed birds. We compared the dynamics of
migration and morphometrical characteristics (wing-length, body mass, fat) of
migratory populations of the different five study areas. The median dates of the
autumn migration generally fall in the last week of September. The migration
begins the earliest in Szalonna and the latest in Izsak. The recapture rate was
the biggest (22,01%) in Sumony and the smallest (1,03%) in Izsak. The mean
minimum stopover time of recaptured birds was the longest (8,95}10,58 days)
in Szalonna and it was 3-6 days long in the other four sites. The mean of the
stored fat of ringed birds in September and October was the smallest in
Szalonna, on the other hand the increase of body mass and fat of the recaptured
birds, was the biggest here. Comparing the five different study sites we found
three significant differences in the wing-length average of the ringed birds. The
breeding population in Hungary is uniform considering the wing-length but the
ones breeding geographically closer show more similarity. The five sites have
different qualities from the point of view of the habitat preference of the Robin.
Some of them also serve as a breeding place - on a different level though -
while others have a role only periodically during the migration of the species. In
our study sites, birds of different origin with varying wing morphology pass
through in a different scale. This fact can cause the differences appearing in
wing-length. Supported by Scientific Committee of Berzsenyi College.




