Environment

Meet Cuckoo KP, who is just back in Ireland after an epic 9,000km trip to Africa for the winter

Bird tracked on migration from Africa to Europe including including sea journey over the Bay of Biscay

The return of three cuckoos that were tagged in Killarney National Park in May 2023 has helped shed light on where the birds spend the winter months.

Ronan McGreevy
Thu May 2 2024 - 13:08

The return of the cuckoo heralds the beginning of summer, but where do they spend their winters?

This is a question that has intrigued birdwatchers and ornithologists for centuries.

Much is known about the birds during the breeding season while they are in Europe, but very little is known about their winter habitats except that they spend this time in Africa.

For the first time cuckoos have been tracked on their migration between Europe and Africa. Cuach KP is one of three birds to be tagged in Killarney National Park in May 2023 in a project by the National Parks and Wildlife Service along with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

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The route taken by three cuckoos may solve a century-long mystery as to where the migrating birds go during the winter

He arrived back in Ireland on Monday having made a 9,000 kilometre round trip from Congo where he spent the winter. His flight included an epic sea journey from the Bay of Biscay off Spain to Ireland.

National Parks and Wildlife Services conservation ranger Sam Bayley said such a sea journey which has to be accomplished without stopping is a “really interesting twist. Big sea crossings haven’t been recorded in cuckoos in Europe before.”

Minister of State for Nature Malcolm Noonan described the return of Cuach KP as a real “success story”.

“Projects like this really helps us to learn more about precious birds such as the cuckoo and how we can all keep them safe,” he said.

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Reports from the satellite tagging system indicate that that other cuckoos from the project are also on their way to Ireland.

Cuach Torc is in the vicinity of Brittany. Cuach Cores was the last of the three to leave. The latest reports suggest that Cores left Algeria yesterday and is already making quick progress towards Ireland.

Cuckoos, or Cuach as gaelige, are a summer migrant to Ireland. Adult birds are resident here from April to early July, having spent the winter on the African continent.

They are a unique bird in Ireland as famously they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests and have no involvement in raising their young.

Across Ireland, the cuckoo has seen a 27 per cent reduction in breeding distribution between the first national census, Bird Atlas (1968-1972), and the most recent Bird Atlas (2007-2011).

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Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times

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