Over the last week or so, KP has flown first from Sudan into north eastern Central African Republic and then north over the border into Chad. He is now in the south eastern corner of Chad.
Cuckoo Tracking Project
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
Cuckoo movements from 01 May 2020 to 24 September 2023
View routes starting..
Cuckoo positions on
Latest updates
KP visits Central African Republic and Chad
14 Sep 2023
Joe pushes south in Chad
14 Sep 2023
Over the last few days Joe has flown 234 km (146 miles) south-east in Chad, taking him towards the border with neighbouring Central African Republic.
Trent pushes east into Nigeria
14 Sep 2023
Over the last few days Trent has flown 1,340 km (832 miles) east, taking him from his original position in Burkina Faso via Togo and Benin into Nigeria. He is now in central Nigeria, approximately 105 km (65 miles) east of the capital city of Abuja.
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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