We’ve lost over half the number of Cuckoos in the UK over the last 20 years. Since 2011 the BTO have been satellite-tracking Cuckoos to find out why.

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.

Tracking Cameron
Tony Davis, a trained and licensed ringer, named one of the captured and tagged cuckoos in Cameron's honour. The migration route of Cameron the Cuckoo can be tracked online. 

Tony had agreed to teach Cameron the skills and importance of bird ringing. Ringers give up their free time to help train new ringers. Cameron was very grateful and thrilled to work with Tony. To be a licensed ringer takes many years and on average the trainee ringer will ring at least 1,500 birds to qualify. 

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