Back in early December all seemed good with Ashok, and we were receiving steady signals from his tag as he explored the forests of central Gabon. Then, things went quiet. We often lose the signals when the Cuckoos are deep in the forests, so this in itself was not so unusual. What was unusual, however, was the signal that we received in early February which suggested he’d moved over 2,700 km (1,678 miles) east into Ethiopia!    

Now, we know enough about Cuckoos to know that this was an anomalous signal and we were certain that Ashok was actually still in the Gabon jungle. But we hadn’t received any further signals… Then, late yesterday, Ashok’s signal sprang back into life and we can now see that he has moved 680 km (423 miles) north of his wintering site in Gabon and made his way into Cameroon!        

When we last posted Arthur’s whereabouts just over a week ago, he had moved into Liberia in West Africa, over 3,000 km (1,864 miles) from where he’d spent the winter months. In the last few days, he has flown a further 300 km (186 miles) north, skirting the border with Guinea and moving back into Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). 

His next move could see him heading into southern Mali before making his big Saharan crossing. 

After a few months in Gabon, Jim has sprung into life in recent days and made his way approximately 2,200 km (1,367 miles) west into northeastern Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), passing through Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana on the way! 

His latest signal shows that he is in Comoé National Park, one of the largest protected areas in West Africa and designated a Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site.