KP
KP was named by Jenny and Tony in memory of Jenny’s late father Ken, who took a keen interest in their birding exploits and would have been fascinated by the satellite-tracking project.
- Status:
- Active
- Tagged:
- Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - 05:00
- Tagging Location:
- Incheens, Killarney National Park, Ireland
- Sex:
- Male
- Age when found:
- Adult
- Satellite Tag No.:
- 242388
- Wing Length (mm):
- 222
KP's journey from 01 May 2024 to 28 October 2024
KP's movements
05 Nov 2024 - KP keeps to the plan
Like his cohort Joe, KP has returned to the same area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as he did last winter.
Currently just 165 km (102 miles) south-east of Joe, KP is in the vast tropical forests around the Salonga River.
28 Aug 2024 - KP has conquered the Sahara
After keeping us anxiously guessing for several days, KP has finally moved on from the remote Tibesti Mountains and flown the remaining 1,000 km (621 miles) south to complete his desert crossing.
He must've found sufficient food around the few oases and rivers of the mountains to sustain him for a few days before pressing on south. He is now in south-western Chad, approximately 66 km (41 miles) south-east of the capital N'Djamena where he will hopefully be able to replenish his fat reserves and recover from his journey.
Last year KP reached the Sahel further east in Sudan on 24 August and remained in the Sahelian region of Sudan/Chad until mid October when he crossed into Central African Republic and shortly after moved south to the Congo.
19 Aug 2024 - KP heads high
Having covered around 1,200 km (745 miles) of relentless Sahara Desert since crossing the Mediterranean, KP appears to be taking a break in the Tibesti Mountains in northern Chad.
With canyons and vegetated valleys running throughout this range, he will hopefully be finding plenty of food to fuel the next leg of his journey south.
13 Aug 2024 - KP heads for the Med
After a lengthy stay in the Italian Alps, and exploring the area around Lake Garda, KP has now upped and flown south. He has coursed through central Italy and crossed the Tyrrhenian Sea to Sicily, covering around 1,083km (672 miles) in the process.
From here, his next move should see him crossing the Mediterranean into Libya, before commencing the perilous Saharan crossing. This time last year he was already well on his way through the desert, heading south along the Libyan / Egyptian border.
01 Jul 2024 - KP departs in style
KP, the last of our tagged Irish Cuckoos has set off!
He left Ireland on 27 June, passing the South Wales coast before cutting speedily across southern England and crossing the Channel at Kent, before stopping just south of Lille, near the Belgian border - a journey of 936 km (580 miles).
After a brief respite, he set off south-east and covered another 808 km (502 miles), passing the French city of Nancy. KP then cut across south-west Germany and western Austria, before arriving on the shores of Lake Reschen, in northern Italy’s Tyrolean mountains on 29 June!
Sponsor a Cuckoo and support the project
“This is my first year following the Cuckoo’s journey and I would like to thank you for the happiness and pleasure it has given me reading your updates. I look forward to the next journeys. Amazing!”
Sponsor your chosen Cuckoo with a monthly Direct Debit or a one-off donation, and receive exclusive updates and insight into their migration.
Become a Cuckoo sponsor todayInformation on this page is for illustrative purposes only and should not be reproduced without permission
© British Trust for Ornithology.
Share this page