Three cuckoos tagged in Killarney National Park have been tracked in Central Africa.
The birds which are being studied by the Cuckoo Tracking Project, were first tagged in May 2023.
The project is in hopes of establishing reasons behind the decline in the bird, by observing its migration patterns.
It’s a collaboration between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
In year 1 of the project, the three birds were tagged as far south as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before returning to Killarney National Park in May of this year.
The three birds were tracked again this year, setting course across the Irish sea towards the UK, before trekking towards France, Spain and mainland Europe.
They continued the flight across the Mediterranean before arriving in Africa.
One cuckoo, named Torc, was tagged in Greece in July, before flying back to Europe and arriving in Northern Germany.
The bird eventually flew south towards Algeria, before crossing the Sahara to its latest location in Angola.
Another cuckoo, called Cores, lingered in Europe until mid-October before making the journey across the desert to Chad, to his latest location of the DRC.
The third cuckoo, KP, has also most recently been tagged in the DRC, following its journey through the Italian Alps, across the Sahara, returning to the Salonga National Park, similar to last year until moving to his latest location.
The cuckoos, tagged in Killarney National Park, can be tracked live here - https://www.bto.org/cuckoos.
