Updates from our Cuckoos

New updates from JAC's tag received between 05:25 and 09:17 yesterday morning (Tuesday 5 October) show that JAC has flown 745 Km (463 miles) south east from Nigeria to Cameroon. He is now just east of Bafoussam, a city in the highlands of western Cameroon.

New updates received beteen 18:00 and 21:30 last night (Sunday 26 September) show that Calypso has flown 470 Km (292 miles) south east and is close to the Gashaka-Gumpti National park in eastern Nigeria, near the border with Cameroon. Cuckoos AJ and Ellis are approximately 1,200 Km (755 miles) south east of him in the Congo Basin. 

As those of who have been following our work for a while will know, we discovered that Cuckoos breeding in the UK migrate to Africa via two main routes. Birds either migrate southwest via Spain and Morocco (the ‘western route’) or southeast via Italy or the Balkans (the ‘eastern route’) before converging in the Congo basin of central Africa. Our studies have shown that birds on the western route are significantly more likely to die before completing the Sahara crossing (even though their route was 12% shorter to this point). Very sadly, the western route has now claimed two more casualties, Harry and Clive. Clive pushed south from Morocco to Mauritania on 29 August. He then moved about 55km shortly after but the latest data shows Clive in the same place, suggesting that he has also died. These two birds have probably now made their last contributions to our growing knowledge of Cuckoos and the amazing migrations they undertake.

A new update shows that Ellis has flown a further 564 Km (350 miles) south east from Central African Republic into Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He is now south of the Equator and just over 100 Km (62 miles) east of Cuckoo AJ. They are both now deep within the Congo rainforest in north western DRC. 

Over the last few days Ellis has followed AJ from Nigeria towards the Congo rainforest. By 08:14 on Tuesday morning, Ellis had flown 1000Km (621 miles) south east and had reached the south-western corner of Central African Republic. He was close to Dzanga-Sangha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site established as a protected site in 1990 and covering 6,865Km2. Will he remain here or follow AJ into Congo or DRC? Stay tuned to find out...

Since the last update, AJ has flown 633 Km (393 miles) south east into the south eastern corner of Cameroon. He is now in an area of lowland rainforest, close to Boumba Bek National Park.

Victor II has flown 155 Km (97 miles) south west within Niger, towards the border with Nigeria. He is now 150 Km north of PJ who is over the border in Nigeria.

Daniel left south eastern Mali on Friday and by Sunday evening he was in southern Niger. He didn't linger there long and by the early hours of this morning (1 September) he had flown on, clipping the north eastern corner of Nigeria and passing Lake Chad before arriving in Chad. He is now on the shores of Lake Fitri, approximately 260 Km (161 miles) east of the capital N'Djamena.   

New updates received late yesterday afternoon show that AJ has flown 450 km (280 miles) south east from his last location close to Abuja, Nigeria, over the border into Cameroon. He is close to Lake Bamendjing in the West region of Cameroon.