Birding trail
Here you can find interesting facts about more than 120 kinds of birds living in the Park
The Birding trail was completed in the City Park in 2021 thanks to the cooperation between the Liget Budapest Project and the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society. It was created to show you the values and diversity of the bird life inhabiting the park, and many other interesting things while you are taking a casual walk here.
Ten stations packed with interesting info
The bird trail by the Királydomb Hill (King’s Hill) and the Main Playground presents the diverse bird population of the City Park through ten stations. It is packed with useful and interesting facts about our feathered friends – from birds that live in urban areas to songbirds and skilful predators – which you can read about at every station on informative signs written in plain language and illustrated with true-to-life images.
Budapest’s remaining natural and quasi-natural habitats represent considerable natural value even by European standards. The diversity of the city’s wildlife is most noticeable in its bird population: 66% of Hungary’s total bird fauna, constituting over 270 bird species, can be found in Budapest, which is an outstandingly high number among European cities.
Over 120 kinds of birds in the City Park!
The City Park is not the remnant of a natural grove forest but rather the product of planting and park maintenance work started in the 18th century and continued ever since. Nevertheless, many animal species native to Hungary have chosen it as their natural habitat. Of the slightly less than three hundred bird species found in the wild in Hungary, there are verified data on the occurrence of 123 species in the City Park.
Deciduous trees and shrubs provide excellent food opportunities for migratory or nesting species that come to the park all year round. This food supply is such a draw to species that temporarily inhabit the park that they are even able to overcome their fear of humans. This means that the diversity of creatures living in Budapest can be greater in certain periods (e.g. during spring and autumn migration) than that of surrounding forests and other areas with natural vegetation.
The City Park is an important shelter
Certain features of urban parks can prevent many species from establishing a habitat. The proximity of the city with its heavy traffic and people means that the more timid and less adaptable species, such as birds of prey or bird species that require natural water, cannot make the City Park their permanent home. However, the absence of predators creates more favourable conditions for many species of birds to raise offspring and, indeed, some species of birds are able to urbanise (acclimatise to the city), enabling them to nest and raise their young in a place with fewer predators.