HORTOBÁGY, HUNGARY
20-23 OCTOBER 2026.
We are pleased to announce that the XI. International Crane Conference will be held in Hungary, in the Hortobágy region. The venue is the Hortobágyi National Park, established in 1973 as Hungary’s first and to this day, the largest contiguous protected natural area. The Hortobágy is a characteristic steppe and so called „puszta” landscape under national protection, whose outstanding natural values are further confirmed by several international designations: the area is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve, International Dark Sky Park, a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and part of the Natura 2000 network.
The ornithological importance of the Hortobágy is internationally recognized, particularly due to the vast numbers of migratory waterbirds using the area. Since the first crane conference, also held here in 1985, four decades have passed, during which significant changes have occurred in the species composition and population sizes of migratory waterbirds. While the Eurasian Crane (Grus grus), which bred throughout the Carpathian Basin until the end of the 19th century, was still a rare visitor to the Hortobágy until the mid-20th century, the species has become increasingly common during migration periods since the 1990s.
In the years that followed, the number of cranes staging in the area has shown a virtually exponential increase. Based on synchronized counts carried out by national park experts, the number of cranes gathering in the Hortobágy during autumn peak migration periods in recent years has regularly exceeded 150,000 individuals. It can therefore be stated that the Hortobágy National Park region has become the most important stopover site for the Common Crane worldwide.
The aim of the conference is to provide a forum for sharing the latest scientific results and experiences related to the world’s crane species and for professional exchange, while also offering participants the opportunity to personally experience the unique atmosphere of the autumn Hortobágy, made unforgettable by the cranes’ dusk and dawn movements and their characteristic calls.
Photo: Attila Szilágyi
