Bluey

Originally tagged in 2022, Bluey’s tag failed in Africa in July of the same year. He was recaught in 2023 and fitted with a new tag. Cuckoo sponsor Erin (6 yrs) chose the name Bluey after her favourite TV character who is brave, cheeky and full of energy – all traits needed in a Cuckoo. Bluey’s new tag was funded by Diana Housely, Stewart Brown and Ian Duncan.

Status:: Active
Tagged:: Sunday, May 28, 2023 - 06:00
Tagging Location:: Knepp Estate, West Sussex
Sex:: Male
Age when found:: Adult
Satellite Tag No.:: 242385
Wing Length (mm):: 231

Bluey's journey from 27 May 2023 to 06 January 2024

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Bluey's position on

Bluey's movements

05 Dec 2023 - Bluey arrives in Angola

New updates received from Bluey's tag in the small hours of this morning (5 Dec) show that he continued south from his last location in Gabon, flying a further 1,000km (622 miles) to reach Angola.

He is now 50km (30 miles) due east of the town of N'zeto. Bluey is the second of our tagged Cuckoos to reach Angola this year, following Cuckoo Trent, who is 93km (58 miles) south of Bluey.

04 Dec 2023 - Bluey moves south to Gabon

After almost three weeks in Cameroon, Bluey has finally made another move, flying 436km (271 miles) south to Gabon.

At 3:30 on Saturday afternoon (2 Dec) he was in the forest a couple of miles due west of the city of Oyem in northern Gabon.

17 Nov 2023 - Bluey bursts back into life

Having spent three months in North-West Nigeria and lagging significantly behind the other Cuckoos, we were fearing the worst for Sussex Cuckoo Bluey. So we were thrilled when we received new updates over the last few days showing that he had flown 540km (335 miles) south-east from Nigeria to Cameroon.

Three months in one area is quite exceptional for our Cuckoos so the areas Bluey was using in Nigeria must have been very good for him. His departure occurred just after the end of the rains at that location, likely very significant given his occupation of gallery forest along seasonal watercourses.

Bluey is now in western Cameroon, 35km (21 miles) east of the city of Bafoussam.

03 Aug 2023 - Bluey moves east to Nigeria

Bluey has departed Mali and flown 1,025 km (637 miles) east, taking him across Burkina Faso and into Nigeria.

He has spent the last few days 63 km (40 miles) north-west of the town of Zuru in Kebbi State.

25 Jul 2023 - Bluey has crossed the Sahara

Since our last update Bluey has flown approximately 2,650 km (1,646 miles) on a journey that has taken him across the Sahara Desert, from Morocco, through Western Sahara and Mauritania to Mali.

He has spent the last couple of days in western Mali, close to the border with Senegal. He is approximately 16 km (10 miles) east of the town of Kéniéba, close to the Tabakoto gold mine.

It is the rainy season here and so hopefully Bluey will be finding plenty of invertebrate food to help him recover from his desert crossing.

Past updates from Bluey

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