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.
Less than a week ago, Joe was still sitting tight in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), close to Cuckoo Cleeve. On 10 April we received a signal to say that he’d charged his way north, covering around 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and arriving close to the ancient Spanish city of Toledo, just south of Madrid.
After a couple of days there, he has now moved on, continuing north. Joe is currently making his way through the province of Segovia, in Castile and León.
Like Joe and Sayaan, Cleeve has been in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) preparing for his northbound migration for the last couple of weeks, and like his Cuckoo congeners, he has now commenced his northward migration.
Covering approximately 2,900 km (1,800 miles) in recent days he has flown up through Burkina Faso, passing over Timbuktu as he crossed Mali, continued through western Algeria, and is currently on the eastern flank of the Middle Atlas mountains in Morocco. Next stop, Europe!After a while gathering strength in the forests of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Sayaan has now set off across the Sahara. Our most recent signal was received on Sunday (11) afternoon, and showed him to be in central Algeria, close to the oasis town of Aïn Salah, the capital of In Salah Province.
Taking a slightly different route from last spring, when he took a more westerly path through Western Sahara and Morocco, it will be interesting to see where he crosses into Europe this year.
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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