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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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Joe reaches the south of France

26 Jun 2023

Over the last few days, Joe has flown almost 600 km (373 miles) south from Troyes in north-central France to Provence on the south coast.

After a brief stop close to the village of Roumoules in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on Friday evening, he pressed on towards the coast. By the evening of Saturday 24 June, he had reached Provence, and has spent the time since close to the wineries of Le Baou d'Infer and Domaine Sainte Marie – he is clearly a Cuckoo of impeccable taste!

Last year Joe stopped off approximately 25 km further north-east, close to Saint-Maxime. He stayed there for a couple of weeks before flying straight across the Mediterranean and the Sahara to Chad, arriving on 4 July. 

Joe has left the UK

23 Jun 2023

Over the last couple of days Joe has left his breeding grounds in Norfolk and flown 510 km (317 miles) south-east, across the English Channel and into France.

By 8:30 a.m. yesterday (Thursday 22 June) he had reached the outskirts of the town of Troyes in the Grand Est region of north-central France, where he remained for the rest of the day.

Last year Joe made his move south about a week earlier, and by 15 June he was already on the French Riviera. 

Joe is back

24 Apr 2023
New updates received from Joe's tag late last night and early this morning show that he has flown the final 900km (559 miles) from the south of France back to his breeding grounds in Norfolk. At the beginning of February, Joe was still in the Congo and since then he has flown approximately 7,657km (4,758 miles) on his migration back to the UK. Last year he departed Norfolk on 13 June and if he follows a similar routine this year he will remain in Norfolk for the next seven weeks or so. 

Joe moves east

11 Apr 2023
Since arriving in the south of France Joe has relocated slightly east and is now close to the town of Manciet in the Gers department of southern France.

Joe has reached France

08 Apr 2023
When we last updated you Joe was on his way across the Sahara desert and by Thursday evening had reached southern Algeria. New updates received this morning (Sat 8 April) show that he has powered on across the desert, across the Mediterranean, over Spain and on to southern France! This means that since leaving Ivory Coast he has covered approximately 4,000km (2,485 miles). By 11am this morning he was close to the town of Tartas in Nouvelle-Aquitiaine in southwestern France. Will Joe now hold the lead and be the first of our tagged Cuckoos to reach the UK? Stay tuned to find out. 

Joe is crossing the Sahara

06 Apr 2023
Having been in Ivory Coast since 2 March, Joe has decided that the time has come to across the Sahara. New updates received from his tag yesterday show that he has flown 1,777km (1,105 miles) north over Burkina Faso and Mali and on to Algeria. By 9pm last night (6 April) he was in the desert in southern Algeria. He needs to fly approximately 1,300km to clear the desert in northern Algeria.

Joe exploring Ivory Coast

24 Mar 2023

Since arriving in eastern Ivory Coast on 2 March Joe has made a detour south towards Bettié and returned to Damé after a few days. Earlier this week he flew 73km (45 miles) north west to Kofi Akakro, where he has remained. This being the first year in which we have tracked his spring migration we don’t know when he is likely to embark on his desert crossing.

Joe moves to Ivory Coast

02 Mar 2023
New updates received over the last 24 hours show that Joe has flown a further 217km (135 miles) west from his last location in Ghana to his new location in Ivory Coast. He is now a few miles south of the town of Agnibilékrou in eastern Ivory Coast. 

Joe powers west

27 Feb 2023
After several weeks in south eastern Cameroon, Joe has made hist move west, flying 1,970km (1,225 miles) north west to Ghana. By 10pm last night (26 Feb) he was 44km (27 miles) west of the city of Kumesi. Will he follow Ellis and JAC out to Guinea or will he stay further east, stay tuned to find out! 

Joe is in the Republic of the Congo

30 Jan 2023
Joe arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in late September and remained there until 14 January when he moved west and crossed over into the Republic of the Congo. He has remained there since and is currently in the banks of the Sangha River in north eastern Republic of the Congo. As Joe was tagged in 2022, this is our first winter of tracking data for him. 

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