Updates from our Cuckoos

Having made slow progress initially last autumn, Nick 2 eventually powered on and swiftly crossed the Sahara. By late July he had made up for lost time and already reached the southern Mauritania and Senegal border. He lingered in this area for some time, but unfortunately this appears to be as far as he got. His tag has continued to transmit from the same area, suggesting that he died here.  

At this present time, old-timer Joe remains in his wintering grounds in the dense rainforests on the northern edge of the vast Busira River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  

He was in the same region at this time last year, but had started to move north by the end of the month – will he repeat this move? Tagged in Norfolk in summer 2022, this will be the third spring that we may track his movements north!   

Cleeve has spent the last few weeks in a heavily forested region in the southern part of Republic of the Congo. He is just west of the Lefini Reserve, a protected area which is home to an array of wildlife including Western Lowland Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Elephant and more than 260 bird species.

Of all our tagged Cuckoos, Wilfrid is the bird who has gone furthest south at this time, and he is currently in north-west Angola, close to the mouth of the mighty Congo River.

He has travelled in excess of 9,000 km (5,592 miles) since leaving his Suffolk breeding grounds in July!

Sayaan, along with Cuckoos Joe and KP, is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is exploring the lush forests by the Maringa River, just 146 km (90 miles) to the north-east of Cuckoo KP.

This is the same region where he spent his last winter, and he'll likely stay here until he gets the urge to move north again in late February.

Like his cohort Joe, KP has returned to the same area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as he did last winter.

Currently just 165 km (102 miles) south-east of Joe, KP is in the vast tropical forests around the Salonga River.

Having conquered the Sahara by the end of August, Henry spent the last few weeks slowly making his way south. He currently seems settled in the Central African Republic, approximately 210 km (130 miles) north of the capital Bangui.

Hafren, took a rather leisurely western route through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and on through Burkina Faso and into central Nigeria.

In recent days he has suddenly headed a further 1,500 km (932 miles) south-east into central Gabon.

He is currently in the Ivindo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is home to a large number of endangered species including Forest Elephant, Western Lowland Gorilla, Chimpanzee and a multitude of birds such as Grey Parrot and Grey-necked Rockfowl.

George II is another of our tagged birds who took an unexpected route. Having made steady progress into Spain, he then turned north back into France, before returning to Spain and setting of across the Mediterranean just north of Barcelona, in late September.

He then spent much of October in southern Mali before moving once again, and is now alongside the Niger River in southern Niger, close to the borders of Benin and Burkina Faso.

Cuthbert appears to be doing well, and at the time of posting, is in western Cameroon. He is currently in the lush tropical environs of Cameroon’s largest river, the Sanaga.