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.
Cuach Torc set off from the area around The Kunë-Vain-Talë Reserve on Friday night and continued south through Albania, and into Western Greece.
He is now in a wooded valley in a mountainous region approximately 25 km (15 miles) south of the city of Patras, on the Peloponnese peninsula.
Having left Dubrovnik, Torc made his way along the coast of Montenegro, and has now pitched down in north-east Albania.
He is currently on the fringes of the The Kunë-Vain-Talë-Patok-Fushëkuqe-Ishëm Nature Reserve. Formerly a hunting reserve, this protected area was designated as a nature reserve in 2010 and is recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
After spending some time around Venice, Cuach Torc has headed eastwards across the Adriatic Sea before flying south along the Croatian coastline, travelling a distance of around 540 km (335 miles).
He is currently in an area along the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and just 10 km (6 miles) from the city of Dubrovnik.
Earlier this week Cuach Torc crossed the border into Italy from Switzerland.
He stopped for a short while just north of the UNESCO world heritage city of Verona, famously the home of Romeo and Juliet. From here Torc then moved a further 120 km (75 miles) to the coast just south of Venice.
In the next few days he could either continue down through Italy, or follow the route he did last year, via Bosnia and Herzegovina and on into Greece!
Cuach Torc has powered some 483 km (300 miles) south-east through France in recent days and is now in Switzerland!
After a couple of days in and around the UNESCO Entlebuch Biosphere reserve at the foot of the Alps, close to Lucerne, he has now crossed over the high peaks and is heading towards the Italian border.
Since our last update, Cuach Torc has moved from the south of Bayeux and flown around 355 km (220 miles) to an area close to the River Seine, and the medieval town of Troyes, in the Champagne region.
By this time last year Torc had already travelled as far as northern Italy – when might he be saying ‘Au revoir’ to France and ‘Ciao’ to Italy this year?
Cuach Torc didn’t linger in Cornwall for long, and as we expected, soon headed for France, passing between Guernsey and Alderney on the way.
A flight of 325 km (200 miles) saw him heading into north-west Normandy, where he is currently exploring the sprawling agricultural region just to the south of Bayeux.
Having made a move to the County Waterford coast from Killarney National Park several days ago, Torc has now finally set off from Ireland, after a stay of 45 days.
He flew a relatively short distance of 276 km (171 miles) to Cornwall, where he is currently just to the east of Falmouth. The second of our tagged birds to head south after the breeding season, his next move should see him making the 180 or kilometres (110 miles) to France in the coming days.
Cuach Torc is the first of our tagged Cuckoos to show signs of leaving his breeding grounds in Killarney National Park, having moved 110km (68 miles) east to the Cork / Waterford border.
He appears to be primed, ready to make a sea crossing any day now! Having arrived back in Ireland on 2 May, Torc may well be on French soil by the weekend.
After several days in the Finistère area of Brittany, Cuach Torc has now left north-western France and has made his way to south-west Ireland.
His journey of approximately 550km (341 miles), saw him taking a direct route across the Celtic Sea, past the Isles of Scilly and Bishop’s Rock lighthouse, and into Killarney National Park, where he joins Cuckoo cohort KP!
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