Michael

Michael was named after the late Michael Holdsworth, the BTO member who originally ringed this bird at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire in May 2019. Michael also played an invaluable role in BTO’s Spotted Flycatcher tagging project in Cambridgeshire (2016–2019). This Cuckoo’s tag was generously funded by an anonymous donor.

Status:: Active
Tagged:: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - 04:10
Tagging Location:: Broadland, Loddon Common
Sex:: Male
Age when found:: Adult
Satellite Tag No.:: 242426
Wing Length (mm):: 227

Michael's journey from 17 May 2023 to 07 August 2023

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Michael's position on

Michael's movements

07 Aug 2023 - Michael crosses back into France

Having moved north in Spain, Michael has now flown a further 65 km (40 miles) north, taking him back over the border into France.

He is now a few miles north of the town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.

04 Aug 2023 - Michael turns north

After almost two weeks on the edge of the Tinença de Benifassà Natural Park, in the autonomous community of Valencia in eastern Spain, Michael has turned north.

Over the last few days he has flown 265 km (165 miles) north through Spain and is now on the northern shores of the Yesa Resevoir on the Aragon River in the province of Zaragoza.

We have seen our tagged Cuckoos circle back north before. It may well be that Michael felt the need to move to try to find richer feeding grounds before embarking on the next stage of his journey.

20 Jul 2023 - Michael has crossed into Spain

Since our last update Michael has flown 271 km (169 miles) south west from his last location in southern France to a new location in Spain.

He is now on the edge of the Tinença de Benifassà Natural Park, a sparsely populated mountainous area in the autonomous community of Valencia.

18 Jul 2023 - Michael reaches the Pyrenees

Michael has flown 287 km (178 miles) south west into the south eastern corner of France. He is just south of the 2,784 m (9,134 ft) mountain, Canigó, in the Pyrenees.

14 Jul 2023 - Michael nudges north

Michael has flown 47 km (30 miles) from his last location and is now in the countryside surrounding Saint-Andéol-de-Berg in the Ardèche department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southern France.

He is keeping us guessing about whether he will take the easterly route through Italy or the westerly route via Spain!

Past updates from Michael