Updates from our Cuckoos

Read the latest updates from our Cuckoos on their epic migration between the UK and tropical Africa, or track their movements in real-time on our Cuckoo migration map.

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Bad timing from Jack?

18 Oct 2016

Sadly it looks like our last Cuckoo to make his crossing may have left it too late and we think Jack may have died. Recent locations show him in the same place as on 9 October. Looking more closely at the last signals received it seems that Jack actually stopped 200km NW of his final (current) location, for a day at least, before moving on.

The movement that might have ended abruptly was actually an onward movement after his first post-desert stop. If he has died, it's a good illustration of the cost of leaving the desert crossing so late - 2 months ago the area would have been very good for him, teeming with insects. But now it is drying out, as evidenced by the other cuckoos all having moved south.

Jack crossing desert

11 Oct 2016

Jack hasn't been in a hurry heading south but, by the 4th October, he had finally left Europe and his last position in the toe of Italy and embarked upon his desert crossing! Signals received during the 4 October showed him travelling across Libya.

Since then poor quality signals show him making his way south through Chad on the 6 October before stopping north of Ati Airport. Signals received today show that he hasn't moved on from this spot which is a little worrying due to the poor habitat he looks to be in. We would have expected him to continue a little further south, where conditions would be much improved, to recover from his journey.

Jack really not in a hurry

04 Oct 2016

Jack is still heading south but doesn't seem to be in a hurry. He is currently in the toe of Italy between the towns of Camocelli Superiore and Camocelli Inferiore. This really ought to be the launch pad for his desert crossing, unless he heads right to the very southern tip of Italy, 50km (31 miles) to the south west. It is almost three months since Jack left Britain, the longest migration duration through Europe that we have experienced from any of our satellite tagged Cuckoos. We would expect him to cross the desert any day now and should hear from him late on 4 October or early on 5 October. Will he have made the jump across the Mediterranean? We will have to wait and see.

Jack still taking it slow

19 Sep 2016

A good quality location received from Jack's tag during the evening of 17 September showed that he was still in northern Italy on the banks of the River Po, close to Lombriasco. How much longer it will be before he makes his move south we don't know but it would seem that he is now running a little late.

Jack still near Lyon

26 Aug 2016

Jack's tag is sending in lots of locations that show he is alive and well. Twelve locations received on 25 August firmly place him in the Loire Valley, close to Saint-Polgues. Currently, the wind is very light, the temperature is 27 degrees and the forecast is for it to stay the same for the next few days. If he was thinking of making a move south the weather won't hold him up.

Jack taking it slowly

02 Aug 2016

Since arriving in France on 10th July, Hampshire Cuckoo Jack has been taking things very easy. He has covered just 200 miles, travelling south to his current location which is 50 miles north west of Lyon.

Jack has crossed the Channel

12 Jul 2016

At 5am on 10 July Jack was in northern France, close to Paris. He is currently in the Parc Naturel regional Oise-Pays de France, just north of the city.

Jack still in the New Forest

08 Jul 2016

Jack is still in the area to the south of Romsey but a look at the tag data suggests everything is OK with him, the tag temperature is what we would expect and the batteries seem to be charging well too. Maybe we will see him move in the next week or so.

Jack

23 Jun 2016

Jack, tagged in the New Forest, Hampshire, joined the 2016 Cuckoos on the 10 June. To date he hasn't moved out of the forest but has been busy covering most of it, from Beaulieu in the east to New Milton in the southwest. He is currently on the northeast edge of the forest close to West Wellow.