Updates from our Cuckoos

Over the last few days Calypso has completed a 965 km (600 mile) journey south east from Nigeria to the Republic of the Congo. He is now in the Western Cuvette department in the western part of the Republic of the Congo.

Victor II has flown 265 km (165 miles) south west, over the border from Republic of the Congo into south eastern Gabon. He is now close to the Passa River in the Bateke Plateau National Park. The park covers an area of approximately 2,000 square km and is a UNESCO world heritage site at the transition between rain forest and savannah. Camera trap studies over recent years have shown the presence in the park of 12 mammal species that are threatened with extinction, including chimpanzee, leopard, elephant, giant pangolin and western lowland gorilla. They also captured the first definitive proof of Lion in Gabon (in 2015). 

PJ has left Equatorial Guinea and moved to southern Republic of the Congo, close to the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is now only 400km (248 miles) away from his wintering area in Angola, a mere stone's throw for a Cuckoo. He arrived there on 21st November last year and stayed until 17 January, so we should see him making his last southerly movement soon. 

Since our last update Ellis has relocated, flying 108 km (68 miles) north within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He is in forest approximately 60 Km west of the town of Befale in north western DRC.

Over the last few days Llangollen Cuckoo JAC has left the Republic of the Congo, flying 235 km (146 miles) east into the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is now 40 km (24 miles) north of Lake Tumba and within the Tumba-Ngiri-Maindombe wetlands, the largest Wetland of International Importance in the world. He is within a vast area of moist tropical forest covering an area more than twice the size of Belgium. 

Victor II has swapped Equatorial Guinea for the Republic of Congo after flying 485 km (301 miles) south east. He is now in the forest, approximately 8 km north of the town of Ewo in the Cuvette-Ouest department of Western Congo.  

A journey of 768 km (478 miles) south east from Cameroon has taken PJ into the north western part of the Republic of the Congo. He is in the forest to the east of the city of Kelle. His final destination in previous years has been northern Angola, this will require him to fly a further 900 km south. Victor II is also in Congo, approximately 85 km south of PJ. 

Victor II has flown 461km (287 miles) S-SE from his last location in Cameroon. He is now 35 km (20 miles) east of the planned new capital city of Ciudad de la Paz in eastern Equatorial Guinea. He is in thick forest close to the Piedra Nzas natural monument, a protected area designated in 2000.  It will be interesting to see whether he remains here or moves on before settling for the winter. 

New updates received yesterday evening show that PJ has flown 681 km (423 miles) south east from his last location in Nigeria over the border into Cameroon. He knows this part of Cameroon well having made several stops here both on his southwards and northwards migrations in previous years. He may next visit Republic of Congo on his way to Angola. 

Over the last few days PJ has flown 340 km (211 miles) south from northern Nigeria where he has been since 13 August, to his new location in the western part of Kaduna state. He is just east of the man-made Shiroro Reservoir which was created in 1984 by damming the Kaduna River. He usually stops south of Abuja which is another 120 km south east of his current location. The next country on his list is likely to be Cameroon.