Updates from our Cuckoos

Since arriving in the Congo a few weeks ago, JAC has flown 180km (112 miles) south east towards the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is now 65km (40 miles) due east of the town of Oyo in the Cuvette region of Congo. We know that last year he wintered further east in DRC so he may well continue his journey east from here. 

Over the last few days JAC has flown 592km (368 miles) south east from his last location in Gabon to the Republic of the Congo. He is in the rainforest approximately 20km north west of the town of Makoua. Last year JAC spent a couple of weeks in the Republic of Congo at the beginning of October before moving deeper into the rainforest of the Congo Basin of DRC to the east where he remained until late February.  

Since our last update, JAC has flown approximately 300km (186 miles) east towards north central Nigeria. His route took him to Kamuku National Park and he has since flown a further 30km east. He is now in north west Kaduna state, approximately 90km north west of the city of Kaduna.  

JAC's visit to Benin was brief as new updates received last night show that he has flow 186km(116 miles) south east, taking him over the border into Nigeria. He is now in north western Nigeria, on the edge of the Illoka Oje Forest Reserve. Last year JAC spent almost two weeks in western Nigeria before moving further east into north central Nigeria where he remained until early October. He then moved directly to the Congo Basin where he spent the winter. 

After a brief visit to eastern Burkina Faso, JAC has hopped over the border into Benin. He is now in the W National Park in the far north of Benin, close to the Mekrou River which separates Benin from Burkina Faso. 

Since our last update JAC has flown 305km (190 miles) south east from his last location in Mali into the far south western corner of Niger, close to the border with Burkina Faso. He is now 112km (70 miles) south west of the capital Niamey and is very close to where he was at this point in July last year.  

Since our last update JAC has flown a further 244km (151 miles) south west in Mali, taking him into the Sahel where he should be able to rest and recover. He is now 24km (14 miles) north east of the city of Goa which is situated on the banks of the River Niger. It'll be interesting to see whether JAC continues south into Burkina Faso, as he did last year. 

By 21:00 last night JAC had flown a further 280km (174 miles) south over the border from Algeria into eastern Mali. He is now 50km south of the desert town of Kidal and within 200km of the River Niger. 

Since our last update JAC has flown 1,600km (995 miles) south over the Algerian Sahara. By 21:15 last night he was close to the border between Algeria and Mali, juts outside the town of Timiaouine. He passed over Timiaouine last year on his way south so is following a very similar path. Last year he flew to Burkina Faso and then on to Nigeria, will his destination be the same this year?

Over the last few days JAC has made a significant move south. By Tuesday evening he was close to L'escala on Spain's Costa Brava. But he didn't hang around for long as further update received close to midnight that evening showed him crossing the Mediterranean on a bearing for Mallorca. The next updates arrived between 04:55 and 08:35 this morning by which time he had reached northern Algeria. His most recent location showed him approximately 200km south of Algiers, and just south of the vast Zehrez Chergui salt lake in the high steppes between the Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas mountains.