The cuckoo - Britain's most famous summer visitor - has declined steeply as factors including habitat loss, prey availability, and sub-Saharan conditions compound to reduce survival.
The cuckoo's welfare predicament is ecological: the species depends on a functional web of host species, prey availability, and continental-scale habitat across its migratory range. Individual birds undertaking the round trip from Britain to central Africa and back are subject to enormous energetic demands. Mortality spikes on migration and in wintering areas contribute to population decline. Welfare improvements require addressing habitat quality across this entire range - a challenge requiring international coordination. In Britain, managing for host species and moth caterpillar prey is achievable through appropriate land management.