The 10,000 mile journey
Have you heard a cuckoo this year?
The cuckoo is one of the UK’s best known seasonal visitors, but unfortunately recent population decline has put the species onto the 2021 UK Conservation Status Report’s Red List – meaning that urgent action is needed.
As part of our Get River Positive pledges, we’ve committed to enhancing our rivers and creating new habitats so native species of wildlife, such as great crested newts, beavers and cuckoos, can thrive.
We’re lucky to have cuckoos breeding at a number of our Severn Trent sites and as part of our commitment to restoring biodiversity we work closely with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to understand more about these beautiful birds.
Which way are we going again?
Depending on where they have been in the UK, cuckoos can take very different routes to get to and from their wintering areas and this can dramatically affect their chance of survival during the migration.
Understanding these migratory issues brings us much closer to finding solutions that can improve the prospects of cuckoos in the UK.
We have been working with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) since 2021, providing financial support as well as on the ground assistance, including expert geographical knowledge and privileged access to our sites.
Calypso the cuckoo was tagged at Wildgoose Nature Reserve in Worcester (where we have funded habitat improvements through our Boost for Biodiversity scheme) on 19 May 2021 and just over a month later, on 24 June 2021, he departed Wildgoose Nature Reserve in Worcestershire to begin his incredible 10,000 mile journey to Africa and back.
Introducing Calypso
Calypso’s itinerary
Clearly not one to hang around, Calypso was the fourth of 12 tagged cuckoos to cross the English Channel on 24 June and by three days later he was way out in front having already reached the South of France
From there he forged on south and by 20 July he had conquered the Sahara and was in Nigeria, where he remained until early November
He arrived in the Republic of Congo on the 9 November and this proved to be his wintering area as he stayed there until early March when he began his return migration
Calypso’s route north took him out to Ivory Coast in West Africa where he stopped for two weeks, feeding up before crossing the Sahara again
A series of shorter hops later took Calypso to Morocco, Spain and France before finally completing his 10,000 mile journey back to England on 3 May and arriving back at Wildgoose on 4 May 2022
Calypso’s journey from the UK to Africa and back – source: British Trust for Ornithology
It’s incredible to think that these birds that we see and hear in the UK during the spring and summer have spent the winter deep in the rainforests of the Congo Basin, home to gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, hippos and many other amazing species.
At Severn Trent we’re committed to enhancing environments and creating new habitats so that wildlife can thrive. Calypso is only the beginning of this story, and we will keep you updated as we continue to work hard to protect and improve nature in our region.
As part of our Great Big Nature Boost, we're committed to enhancing and improving habitats across our region so wildlife can thrive. Calypso is one of many stories about our work on our sites and with our partners, and we’ll be sharing more updates as we continue to work in collaboration across many projects to help nature recover.