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 24 September 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: active
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: active
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: active
Sayaan. Sayaan

Sayaan
ID: 242502
Status: active
Trent Trent

Trent
ID: 242383
Status: active

View previously tagged birds

Latest updates

KP visits Central African Republic and Chad
14 Sep 2023
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.  

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. 

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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