Cuach Cores News Today

A tracked Irish cuckoo is confirmed to be on Irish soil following a year-long study on migration and habitat pressures.

Bird tracked on migration from Africa to Europe including a long sea crossing

Bird tracked on migration from Africa to Europe including a long sea crossing

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has confirmed that Cuach KP, one of the first Irish cuckoos to be tagged as part of a Cuckoo Tracking Project, has landed home in Killarney National Park after a winter spent in the rainforests of the Congo Basin in Central Africa.

While the cuckoo has been well-studied during the breeding season, very little is known about the routes they take once they head off on migration

One of the first Irish cuckoos tagged as part of a Cuckoo Tracking Project has landed home in Killarney National Park.

Earlier this summer, a male Blackbird landed on the lawn in our back garden followed closely by three well-grown offspring chasing him and begging for food. The father stood in front of his hungry children and pecked at the ground repeatedly. His pecks were barely touching the ground, so it was tempting to think the teacher was demonstrating to the youngsters: “Look, this is how you get your own food!”

Ten additional Common Cuckoos have been tagged for science this summer.

A joint Irish-UK scheme will track exactly where they go when the birds go when they depart Ireland in mid-summer