Cuckoo Tracking Project

Cuckoo. Alan McFadyen

Help us follow Cuckoos on migration and discover why they are in decline

The Cuckoo is currently Red Listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern in the UK, due to its population decline.

Since 2011 we’ve been satellite-tracking Cuckoos to find out why they are declining. We’ve learned lots of vital information which could help us to understand our Cuckoos, such as how the different routes taken are linked to declines, and some of the pressures they face whilst on migration — but there is still more to discover.

We now need to look more closely at how dependent they are on, and how much their migration is linked, to the drought-busting rains of the weather frontal system known as the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) as they move out of the Congo rainforest and begin to head back to the UK via West Africa.

  • This project wouldn't have been possible without the amazing support from funders and sponsors. Read more about the project and find out how you can get involved.
  • We have been able to share our expertise around tracking Cuckoos with other international studies, such as the Beijing Cuckoo Project.

Skill required

  • Follow our Cuckoos on the map below - use the controls to animate or step through their movements.

Cuckoo movements from 01 May 2023 to 30 November 2023

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Cuckoo positions on
 
 
 
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Current Cuckoos
Bluey. Bluey

Bluey
ID: 242385
Status: active
Cuach Carran. Cuach Carran Map Pin.

Cuach Carran
ID: 242389
Status: unknown
Cuach Cores. Cores

Cuach Cores
ID: 242386
Status: active
Cuach Torc. Torc

Cuach Torc
ID: 242384
Status: active
George. George

George
ID: 242387
Status: active
JAC the Cuckoo JAC

JAC
ID: 213805
Status: presumed dead
Jasper. Jasper

Jasper

ID: 232668
Status: unknown
Joe, Cranwich Heath, 2022. PTT 232670 Joe

Joe
ID: 232670
Status: active
KP. KP

KP
ID: 242388
Status: active
Cleeve (2023 tagged Cuckoo) Michael

Michael
ID: 242426
Status: unknown
Sayaan. Sayaan

Sayaan
ID: 242502
Status: active
Trent Trent

Trent
ID: 242383
Status: active

View previously tagged birds

Latest updates

Cuach Cores moves further into the Congo Basin
01 Dec 2023

Cuach Cores has flown 234km (146 miles) south within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, taking him deeper into the Congo Basin.

He is now approximately 90km south of the town of Bumba and just south of the Tshuapa River.

Trent moves north in Angola
24 Nov 2023
Trent has flown 108km (67 miles) north from his last location and is now in Coutada do Ambriz National Park in Angola. Cuckoo PJ visited this same National Park during the winter of 2018. 

Trent moves north in Angola
17 Nov 2023

Trent is still the most southerly of all our Cuckoos, having made it all the way to Angola.

Over recent days he has flown 100km north from his last location, so he is now 85km (52 miles) due east of the capital Luanda. Cuckoos Chris and PJ both visited Angola and are among our longest lived birds, so hopefully, Trent will have the same luck. 

Browse updates from our Cuckoos

Project Lead
Email Contact:
cuckoos@bto.org

Project timeline, contributions & findings

Project timeline

  • 5/11 - First round of five Cuckoos tagged, wintering sites in the Congo identified 
  • 3/12 - Different routes discovered on return journeys
  • 2016 - First scientific paper published on on the routes of our Cuckoos

Contributions & findings

Support the project

You can help keep this important project going by either giving a donation, becoming a Cuckoo sponsor, or gifting a sponsorship to someone else. We greatly appreciate the support the project has received, allowing us to continue to monitor this endangered species.

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