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.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) confirmed that the cuckoo, Cuach KP, was the first of three tagged birds to successfully make the 9,000km journey home for the summer months.
On arrival into Ireland on Monday, April 29, c made a stop off in Fermoy, Co. Cork before returning to the national park, where he was originally tagged before releasing.
Over the course of the cuckoo’s journey, it was recorded that he covered two continents and several countries.
Reports from the satellite tagging system indicate that that other cuckoos from the project are also on their way.
The latest reports suggest that Cores left Algeria yesterday and is already making quick progress.
Cuach Torc was the last of the three to leave, and is currently in the vicinity of Brittany.
Cuckoo project
While the cuckoo has been well-studied during the breeding season, very little is known about the routes taken once they head off on migration or where in Africa they spend the winter months.
For the project, the birds had been tagged in Killarney National Park in May 2023.
It was set up by the NPWS and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to better understand the bird’s migration patterns and the habitat pressures on the cuckoo population.
The birds were given names and fitted with satellite tags so that their movements could be tracked.
Divisional Manager at Killarney National Park, Eamonn Meskell said: “Cuckoos are such an intriguing bird and one that we associate with the arrival of summer.
“All of us at Killarney National Park are now hoping that the two other birds tagged as part of this project will follow and join him here over the coming days.”