Landscape ecology became a useful discipline in the design of nature conservation. In the present study we analysed the occurrence patterns of the Great White Egret (Egretta alba), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), and the Coot (Fulica atra) in the reed archipelago of Lake Velence (24 km2), Hungary, in 1994. We related the presence/absence of the species to three landscape ecological variables and three vegetation characteristics of the reed islands, and built logistic regression models. We found that area proved to be the most important factor determining the occurrence of all the four species. In addition, the isolation and vegetation characteristics were included into to models of the Great White Egret, and isolation to models of the Marsh Harrier and the Coot. We concluded that the survival of the four species at Lake Velence requires the preservation of large reed islands.