April arrivals: Cuckoo among signs of the advancing summer

Many regular spring/summer visitors to Ireland are already here. Swallows, swifts and house martins, are all getting busy having returned to Ireland where they nest, lay eggs and raise their chicks.

The cuckoo seems to be making landfall in Ireland earlier, following a perilous 10,000km journey from Africa. Last year, our first official sighting was reported in Ballygunner, Co Waterford, on April 2, a week earlier than in 2024.

Thu, 09 Apr, 2026 - 06:00

Donal Hickey

Though we haven’t heard its welcome call at the time of writing, the cuckoo is probably here by now. A British Trust for Ornithology-tagged cuckoo has made history by crossing the Sahara in record time, arriving in Spain on March 25, the earliest recorded date.

And, the cuckoo also seems to be making landfall in Ireland earlier, following a perilous, 10,000km journey from Africa. Last year, our first official sighting was reported in Ballygunner, County Waterford, on April 2, a week earlier than in 2024. There were also sightings in counties Cork, Clare, Wexford and Donegal, some days later.