In 2024, a total of 59 ringers ringed 67,436 birds belonging to 151 species and one interspecific hybrid (Hirundo rustica × Delichon urbicum). The five most frequently ringed species were the Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla; 9,821 individuals, 14.6% of all birds), Great Tit (Parus major; 9,616 individuals, 14.3%), Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica; 7,313 individuals, 10.8%), European Robin (Erithacus rubecula; 5,296 individuals, 7.9%) and Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus; 5,275 individuals, 7.8%). These species rank among the most abundant ringed birds not only in 2023 but also throughout the entire period 2002–2023, with the Great Tit being the most numerous species overall (109,182 individuals; 9.9% of all ringed birds). In contrast, 16 species were represented by a single individual, and the Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) and the Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans sensu lato) were ringed for the first time in Slovakia. The most numerous species ringed as nestlings were the Great Tit (1,900 individuals), White Stork (Ciconia ciconia; 1,796 individuals), Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus; 1,061 individuals), Barn Swallow (688 individuals) and Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis; 450 individuals). Overall, nestlings accounted for approximately 12% of all ringed birds. Between 2002 and 2023, the total number of ringed birds in Slovakia increased significantly, while the number of ringed species showed a significant decline. This trend was mainly driven by a reduced ringing frequency of certain species groups, particularly waders and gulls. Although the number of ringed nestlings increased during the same period, their proportion of the total number of ringed birds remained stable. In 2024, a total of 826 foreign recoveries were recorded. Of these, 315 individuals were ringed abroad and subsequently recaptured in Slovakia, while 511 individuals were ringed in Slovakia and later recovered abroad. The longest-distance recovery involved a White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) found in Tanzania, 6,385 km from its ringing site in Slovakia. The longevity record was also held by a White Stork, which was re-encountered 13 years after ringing.
The national Red List was updated for the period 2013–2023, based on the improved knowledge and the change in the conservation status of some rare bird species. IUCN categories and criteria according to version 3.1 were used and recommendations for their application according to version 15.1. Version 4.0 of the IUCN recommendations was taken into account for the application of the criteria at the national and regional levels. Altogether 213 native breeding species were assessed (of the total number of 233 species of breeding birds). A total 94 of 213 native species met the criteria for inclusion in the Red List (five species RE – regionally extinct, 12 CR – critically endangered, 24 EN – endangered, 29 VU – vulnerable, and 24 NT – near threatened), which represents up to 40% of the species of the breeding avifauna in Slovakia. The remaining 119 species are less threatened (LC) species and these were not included in the Red List. Threatened birds (categories CR, EN, VU; 65 species) cover 31% of all assessed Slovak breeders. The total number of threatened species increased from 51 to 65 in comparison to the period 2002–2012. The status of 36 assessed breeders has worsened and, conversely, 11 species have been reclassified to a more favorable category due to improved population status.
The European Stonechat is a common breeding bird in the Liptov region as well as in the whole of Slovakia. It is a migratory species with wintering sites mainly in the north-western parts of Africa. However, several populations regularly winter in Europe, particularly in Spain, France, Italy and Grait Britain, with an increasing number of winter occurrences in Central Europe including the southern and western parts of Slovakia. Here we present an observation of a female European Stonechat recorded on 14.1.2025 in the town of Liptovský Mikuláš (Northern Slovakia), at 576 m a.s.l. (49.0783942N, 19.6102900E). The morning temperature at the site on that day was lower than minus 10 °C, with patchy snow cover. To the best of our knowledge, this is the northernmost and highest-elevation winter occurrence of the European Stonechat in Slovakia. We hypothesise that warmer winters could lead to more frequent wintering of this species in more northern areas.
