Description

Situated on the Hungarian Great Plain east of the River Tisza, Hortobágy is the largest puszta landscape in Hungary; an open plain dominated by saline grasslands and extensive arable lands. Depressions contain saline marshlands, with seasonal wetlands appearing in spring and autumn. Fish-ponds cover about 5,000 ha. Human activities include arable farming, cattle- and sheep-grazing, goose-farming, haymaking, angling, birdwatching, hunting and reed-harvesting.
Lake Tisza (Tisza-tó) is also known Kisköre Reservoir. The reservoir, 35 km long and 6 km wide, was established in the 1970s on the River Tisza between Kiskand Tiszadorogma. There is a large expanse of open water, in addition to numerous islands, extensive reedbeds (Phragmites and Typha) and floating vegetation. Human activities include angling, boating and hunting.

Source: 1) Lovászi Péter (editor): Javasolt különleges madárvédelmi területek Magyarországon, Magyar Madártani és Természetvédelmi Egyesület, 2002; 2) BirdLife International: Important Bird Areas factsheet, 2012; 3) Králl Attila, Nagy Károly: Fontos Madárélőhelyek Magyarországon (Területek, kritériumok és minősítő fajok) MME Monitoring Központ, 2007; 4) www.hungarianbirdwatching.com Important Bird Area descriptions, 2004-2014