Public invited to track three Irish cuckoos on migration to Africa

Cuach Cores tagged in 2023 at Incheens, Derrycunnihy, Killarney National Park, helping to solve one of Ireland’s natural mysteries when National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) commenced a cross-channel Cuckoo tracking project with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to find out just where cuckoos spend their winter months. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan

The public is being encouraged to follow the journeys of three Irish cuckoos as they migrate south to Africa.

Using satellite technology, the Cuckoo Tracking Project is monitoring the routes of three birds — Cuach Sean from Wicklow Mountains National Park, Cuach Rua from the Burren National Park, and Cuach Cores from Killarney National Park.

Cuach Sean was the first of this year’s birds to cross the English Channel and is currently the farthest south. After leaving Wicklow and making a brief stop in Somerset, he continued into France. 

He later stopped in the foothills of the Alps, east of Chambéry, and the most recent update shows he is now in northern Italy, close to the town of Andora on the Italian Riviera.

Cuach Rua left a little later, stopping near The Ballagh in Co Wexford, but has since crossed to Wales and is currently inland from New Quay.

Cuach Cores is trailing behind, having yet to leave his breeding grounds in Killarney National Park, where he was tagged three years ago. He is expected to depart in the coming days and begin his fourth tracked migration to Africa, having spent almost two months in the park.

The birds' movements are being tracked as part of conservation efforts to better understand the species' decline and help safeguard its future.

Cuach Cores tagged in 2023 at Incheens, Derrycunnihy, Killarney National Park, helping to solve one of Ireland’s natural mysteries when National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) commenced a cross-channel Cuckoo tracking project with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to find out just where cuckoos spend their winter months. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan

Nature minister Christopher O’Sullivan is encouraging people to follow the Irish cuckoos on their annual migration.

“The call of the cuckoo represents the start of summer for many people and is a familiar and much-loved sound in the countryside", Mr O'Sullivan said.

"The more we learn the more we can understand the pressures and strains on this species which has seen a 26% decline in the last 40 years in Ireland.

"I’m encouraging everyone to keep an eye on the website and see which routes they’re taking, how fast they’re travelling, where they end up – and who arrives first! Armed with greater understanding, we will be in a better position to protect the beloved cuckoo, so that generations to come can enjoy the sound of the cuckoo for many more summers."

Since 2011, the Cuckoo Tracking Project has been following the journeys of cuckoos from Ireland and the UK using satellite technology to investigate different aspects of the birds’ lives and better understand the causes behind their decline.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is a partner in the project, which is led by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

This year, the project is tracking seven newly tagged birds from Ireland and the UK.

The cuckoo race can be followed on the BTO website.