Changing Fortunes of the Great Egret

L’histoire de succès de l’aigrette En Europe, la Hongrie est un des biotopes les plus importants de l’aigrette. L’aigrette est l’oiseau emblématique du mouvement hongrois de la protection de la nature. C’est aussi l’histoire de succès, au XXème siècle. Le fait que l’oiseau ait été dans un péril extrême en Hongrie a déclenché de tels changements dans la vie publique hongroise que malgré les pratiques de l’époque les valeurs naturelles ont eu la priorité sur les intérêts économiques. A la fin du XIXème siècle, le milieu traditionnel des oiseaux aquatiques a disparu, à cause de la régularisation fluviale et de l’assèchement des marais. A cause de son plumage particulier, pendant la période nuptiale, l’aigrette a été chassée partout en Europe, entre autres en Hongrie. (La raison pour laquelle l’Association Royale britannique de la protection des Oiseaux a été fondée en 1889, c’était de maîtriser le massacre de l’aigrette (plus exactement le commerce des plumes).) Pour les raisons mentionnées ci-dessus, le nombre des aigrettes a significativement diminué partout en Europe. Au début du XXème siècle, c’est le marécage de Kis-Balaton qui est devenu un des derniers lieux d’asile de ces populations d’ oiseaux aquatiques. En 1919, il ne restait que 6 couples d’aigrettes qui faisaient leur nid dans la héronnière de Kis-Balaton. Dans les années 1940, on a marqué les limites d’une future réserve naturelle et en 1951 la règle juridique sur la réserve naturelle est entrée en vigueur. Grâce aux mesures de protection de la nature, le nombre des aigrettes a commencé à augmenter. Cependant, jusqu’aux années 60, il n’a pas atteint les 30 couples sur le territoire de la Hongrie. La population ne s’est stabilisée que dans les années 80. Aujourd’hui, le peuplement des aigrettes est stable en Hongrie, leur nombre est supérieur à 3000 couples.

Changing Fortunes of the Great Egret Once hunted to near-extinction, Europe’s great egrets find refuge along Hungary’s Danube. A remarkable conservation success story, the graceful Great Egret was saved from the brink of disappearance in Hungary, when in 1921 there were only 31 mating pairs remaining. Less than a century later, international conservation efforts have triumphed. We can now count over 3,000 mating pairs in Hungary alone. by  Zsolt Kudich & Réka Zsirmon The Great Egret is a beautiful bird with an all-white plumage, and by the end of the 19th Century, their habitats had all but disappeared across Europe, mainly because of swamp drainage and river rerouting. The birds were also being aggressively hunted for the elegant long white feathers they grow during their mating season. Hungarian Kis-Balaton (Small-Balaton) swamp was one of the last refuges for the Great Egrets. Then in 1912 industrial decisions and plans were made to start draining the Kis-Balaton swamps. These beautiful, graceful, mythical white birds were very well known by the public, and a handful of very dedicated conservationists stood up and tried to save the swamps, their strongest reason being that this region was the only remaining habitat and refuge where Hungary’s last Great Egrets could survive. However, by 1919, only six pairs of mating Great Egrets were living in the Kis-Balaton region, and in 1921 there were only 31 mating pairs recorded in the whole country. Great Egrets became an endangered species in Hungary and hunting was prohibited. The Hungarian Society of Birds and its director, Jakob Schenk Vonoczky, organized a national fundraiser for saving the Great Egrets at the Kis-Balaton. To protect the few remaining pairs, they hired Jozsef Gulyas in 1924, the first paid conservation ranger employeed at Kis-Balaton. This is how the remaining Great Egrets had their first guard who made sure they were not disturbed. Today, although their numbers are continuing to climb, the Great Egret remains the Hungarian Nature Conservation’s symbol, and they are still considered an endangered species that must be carefully protected. Humans once nearly eliminated the graceful curves and delicate plumage of the great egret. But with concerted efforts, they brought the species back from the brink. Egret populations are now thriving in many parts of the world. And despite threats posed by pesticides and other contaminants, as well as habitat loss and a warming climate, the great egret’s future looks far brighter today than it did a century ago. The disappearance of the beautiful Great Egret from our country opened the eyes of the Hungarian people to the importance of protecting the fragile environments and unique wildlife around us, and helped to shift national perspectives from industrial needs to natural values. It is our hope that these evocative images of the Great Egret in their natural habitat will both celebrate the beauty of the natural world, and also recognize one of man’s successful efforts to protect the environment.