Help us track Cuckoos and watch the current cohort's epic migration on our Cuckoo migration map. Read the latest updates on how our cuckoos are managing their amazing migration from Britain and Ireland to Africa and back again.
Time, skill and support
Spend as much time as you like following each Cuckoo's migration and reading the updates about their movements.
No technical skills are required to support the Cuckoo Tracking project - just a love of Cuckoos.
Learn more on our Cuckoo BirdFacts page and how to identify them and their call in our Cuckoo ID video.
About the project
We’ve been satellite-tracking Cuckoos since 2011. We’ve learned lots of vital information, such as how the different migration routes are linked to declines, and some of the pressures Cuckoos face whilst on migration, but there is still much more to discover.
- We have been able to share our expertise around tracking Cuckoos with other international studies, such as the Beijing Cuckoo Project.
- Read more about our Cuckoo Tracking Project.
- Explore the Cuckoo BirdFacts page to learn more about this iconic species.
An important aspect of this project is how it helps us improve our understanding of why Cuckoos are in decline:
- Since 1995, the number of Cuckoos has decreased by over 30%.
- The Cuckoo is currently Red-listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern in the UK.
What’s next
We now need to look more closely at how dependent Cuckoos 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.
Learn more
- What have the Cuckoos taught us? (2022)
- Cuckoo's clocks can't adjust to climate change - now we know why (2023)
- Our Cuckoo tracking journey (2024)
- Learn more about Cuckoos (facts, figures, trends)
- Learn how to identify them and their call in our Cuckoo ID video
- More about bird tracking technology (GPS, PTTs, Geolocators)
Support the project
- Help us continue our vital research by sponsoring a Cuckoo.
Cuckoo migration map
Each Cuckoo’s tag sends us location data approximately every day, so we can follow them and learn more about their migration.
Cuckoo movements from 1st May 2025 to 13th February 2026
Latest updates
Arthur - what a legend!
Cuckoo Arthur is leading the pack, having headed into West Africa in good time. Since our last update in late January, he has continued west, sweeping across Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana, before finally making a stop in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) on a journey exceeding 2,200 km (1,367 miles)!
His latest signal places him just on the outskirts of the city of Soubré, in the south-west of the country. Will Arthur continue at this pace and be the first of our tagged Cuckoos to tackle the Sahara? Watch this space!
Go-go Joe!
In the last week Joe has really made some progress. Of our tagged Cuckoos, he was one of the birds wintering furthest east, but has covered an impressive 1,200 km (745 miles) in recent days. Crossing Central African Republic from Democratic Republic of the Congo, he has made his way rapidly into central Cameroon.
He is currently close to the Sanaga River on the eastern flank of the expansive Mbam Djerem National Park, considered the most biologically diverse protected area in Cameroon.
Sayaan sails into Cameroon
After spending a couple of weeks around the Lac Télé Community Reserve in eastern Republic of the Congo, Sayaan has made further progress in recent days.
At the beginning of February, he flew approximately 300 km (186 miles) into south-east Cameroon; he is currently within the vast Lobéké National Park, a designated Important Bird Area, home to more than 300 species.
Current Cuckoos
Each year, we follow a cohort of newly tagged Cuckoos as they migrate along the Afro-Palearctic flyway. We also watch Cuckoos tagged in previous years, if their tag is still transmitting data to us. Together, these are our 'Current Cuckoos'.
