Cuckoo Tracking Project

Cuckoo. Alan McFadyen

Help us follow Cuckoos on migration and discover why they are in decline

The Cuckoo is currently Red Listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern in the UK, due to its population decline.

Since 2011 we’ve been satellite-tracking Cuckoos to find out why they are declining. We’ve learned lots of vital information which could help us to understand our Cuckoos, such as how the different routes taken are linked to declines, and some of the pressures they face whilst on migration — but there is still more to discover.

We now need to look more closely at how dependent they 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.

  • This project wouldn't have been possible without the amazing support from funders and sponsors. Read more about the project and find out how you can get involved.
  • We have been able to share our expertise around tracking Cuckoos with other international studies, such as the Beijing Cuckoo Project.

Skill required

  • Follow our Cuckoos on the map below - use the controls to animate or step through their movements.

Cuckoo movements from 01 May 2023 to 10 December 2023

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Cuckoo positions on
 
 
 
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Current Cuckoos

Bluey. Bluey

Bluey

ID: 242385
Status: active
Cuach Carran. Cuach Carran Map Pin.

Cuach Carran

ID: 242389
Status: unknown
Cuach Cores. Cores

Cuach Cores

ID: 242386
Status: active
Cuach Torc. Torc

Cuach Torc

ID: 242384
Status: active
George. George

George

ID: 242387
Status: active
JAC the Cuckoo JAC

JAC

ID: 213805
Status: presumed dead
Jasper. Jasper

Jasper

ID: 232668
Status: unknown
Joe, Cranwich Heath, 2022. PTT 232670 Joe

Joe

ID: 232670
Status: active
KP. KP

KP

ID: 242388
Status: active
Cleeve (2023 tagged Cuckoo) Michael

Michael

ID: 242426
Status: unknown
Sayaan. Sayaan

Sayaan

ID: 242502
Status: active
Trent Trent

Trent

ID: 242383
Status: active

View previously tagged birds

Latest updates

Bluey arrives in Angola

05 Dec 2023

New updates received from Bluey's tag in the small hours of this morning (5 Dec) show that he continued south from his last location in Gabon, flying a further 1,000km (622 miles) to reach Angola.

He is now 50km (30 miles) due east of the town of N'zeto. Bluey is the second of our tagged Cuckoos to reach Angola this year, following Cuckoo Trent, who is 93km (58 miles) south of Bluey.  

No news from George

04 Dec 2023

We last heard from George on 9 November, when he was approaching the Lukenie River, approximately 20 miles upstream of the community of Oshwe, in the Mai-Ndombe province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Cuach Cores moves south in the Congo Basin

04 Dec 2023

Cuach Cores has relocated within the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, flying 150km (92 miles) south from an area close to the Tshopo River to his new location close to the Maringa River.

Browse updates from our Cuckoos

Project Lead
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