Cuckoo Tracking Project

Help us track Cuckoos and learn even more about their epic migration

We’ve been satellite-tracking Cuckoos since 2011. We’ve learned lots of vital information, such as how the different migration routes are linked to declines, and some of the pressures Cuckoos face whilst on migration, but there is still much more to discover.

We have been able to share our expertise around tracking Cuckoos with other international studies, such as the Beijing Cuckoo Project.
Read more about our Cuckoo Tracking Project.
Explore the Cuckoo BirdFacts page to learn more about this iconic species.

An important aspect of this project is how it helps us improve our understanding of why Cuckoo are in decline:

Since 1995, the number of Cuckoos has decreased by over 30%.
The Cuckoo is currently Red-listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern in the UK.

Our Cuckoo Tracking Project is vital and it wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support from funders and sponsors.

Sponsor a Cuckoo

What’s next

We now need to look more closely at how dependent Cuckoos are on, and how much their migration is linked to, the drought-busting rains of the weather frontal system known as the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) as they move out of the Congo rainforest and begin to head back to the UK via West Africa.

Watch the Cuckoos migrate on our map

Each Cuckoo’s tag sends us location data approximately every day, so we can follow them and learn more about their migration.

Time / skill required

Spend as much time as you like following each Cuckoo's migration on the map below - use the controls to animate or step through their movements.
No technical skills are required to support this project - just a love of Cuckoos.

Cuckoo movements from 01 May 2024 to 30 August 2024

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Latest updates

Cuthbert cruises into the desert

29 Aug 2024

Cuthbert is not hanging about now and has pressed straight on across the Gulf of Cadiz to Africa.

At 9am this morning he was in the Sahara, 42 km (26 miles) south east of the City of Samara in Western Sahara, having flown 1,791 km (1,113 miles) since leaving northern Spain!

Hopefully he has built up sufficient fat reserves to carry him safely across to the other side of the Sahara. There were 30-40mph north-easterly winds in this area yesterday which should help Cuthbert along nicely to Senegal. Fingers crossed!

Henry has conquered the Sahara

29 Aug 2024

We are pleased to report that further updates from Henry's tag show that he has succesfully completed his desert crossing and is now in the Sahel, where he should be able to refuel and recover.

His journey south across the Sahara took him to the west of the Tibesti Mountains of northern Chad to his current location in the Kanem region of south-western Chad.

He is close to one of the thousands of smaller water bodies associated with the massive Lake Chad wetland ecosystem.

Cuthbert continues south

28 Aug 2024

Cuthbert has finally left Spain. Over the last few days he has flown 300 miles south and is now just west of the village of Lousal in the Alentejo Province of southern Portugal.

It looks most likely that Cuthbert will cross to Morocco and proceed south across the Sahara along the western edge.

Browse updates from our Cuckoos

Project Lead

Chris Hewson

Email Contact:

cuckoos@bto.org

Project timeline, contributions & findings

Project timeline

5/11 - First round of five Cuckoos tagged, wintering sites in the Congo identified
3/12 - Different routes discovered on return journeys
2016 - First scientific paper published on on the routes of our Cuckoos

Contributions & findings

Cuckoo declines linked to different migration routes to Africa

Support the project

You can help keep this important project going by either giving a donation, becoming a Cuckoo sponsor, or gifting a sponsorship to someone else. We greatly appreciate the support the project has received, allowing us to continue to monitor this endangered species.

Our Cuckoo tracking journey

Senior Research Ecologist Chris Hewson reflects on 13 years of catching and tagging Cuckoos, and why it’s vital that the project continues.

Publication

Fidelity and distance to previously visited sites throughout the annual cycle in a trans-Saharan migrant, the Common Cuckoo

Research in collaboration with BTO scientists has used data from satellite-tracked adult male Cuckoos to show that although all birds returned to the same breeding grounds in consecutive years, the

News

2023’s Cuckoos are tagged and ready to go

BTO has fitted 10 more Cuckoos with satellite tags, allowing scientists and the general public to follow these incredible birds on their annual migration.