After several weeks deep in the swampy forests near the Maringa River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sayaan appears to have become a little restless. In the last month he has covered some distance, first flying 420 km (260 miles) north-west to the border of the Republic of the Congo, before heading a further 230 km (143 miles) south-west to the expansive Likouala Aux Herbes River. Is he gearing up for a rapid move north?
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.
Support the tracking project
Our Cuckoo Tracking Project is vital and it wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support from funders and sponsors.
Sponsor a CuckooWhat’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
Cuckoo movements from 01 May 2024 to 28 February 2025
View routes starting..
Cuckoo positions on
Latest updates
Sayaan's significant shift
14 Feb 2025
Hafren makes a move
14 Feb 2025
Hafren has made a significant move in recent days. Having spent much of his winter in eastern Gabon, he has now flown some 160 km (100 miles) north-east into Republic of the Congo. Is this the start of his northbound spring migration?
Time's up for Nick 2
14 Feb 2025
Having made slow progress initially last autumn, Nick 2 eventually powered on and swiftly crossed the Sahara. By late July he had made up for lost time and already reached the southern Mauritania and Senegal border. He lingered in this area for some time, but unfortunately this appears to be as far as he got. His tag has continued to transmit from the same area, suggesting that he died here.
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
Contributions & findings
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.
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