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.
An important aspect of this project is how it helps us improve our understanding of why Cuckoo are in decline:
Our Cuckoo Tracking Project is vital and it wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support from funders and sponsors.
Sponsor a CuckooWe 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.
Each Cuckoo’s tag sends us location data approximately every day, so we can follow them and learn more about their migration.
After a few days resting and feeding in northern Spain, Cuach Cores has powered on and headed straight for Ireland. Crossing the Bay of Biscay, he took a direct route of around 1,200 km (745 miles), skirting the Isles of Scilly, and arriving in County Cork this morning (22).
He is currently just 70 km (43 miles) to the east of Killarney National Park, where he spent last summer, and also where he was first tagged in 2023. He has arrived back in Ireland 18 days earlier than he did last year.
Once again, Wilfrid went quiet for a short while, leaving us guessing as to his whereabouts following his arrival in central Spain in early April. Our last signal placed him near Guadalupe, then over the weekend we received notification of his arrival in Suffolk – our first tagged bird to return!
He is back in the same area near Worlingham Marshes, within the Broads National Park, where he was tagged in early June last year, further highlighting just how site-faithful these birds are!
Since our last update just two days ago, Sayaan has flown more than 2,000 km (1,242 miles) from central Algeria, to southern Italy. He is the only one of our current crop of tagged Cuckoos to take an easterly route.
He is currently in an area dominated by lush woodland, in the hills just 35 km (21 miles) west of Genoa.
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.
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