Cuckoo migration to Africa via two routes is tracked by satellite, revealing individual welfare challenges during this demanding long-distance journey.
Satellite tracking of named individual cuckoos has made their welfare personally significant to hundreds of thousands of people. Individual welfare during migration depends on weather, food availability, and barrier crossings. Western-route birds face Sahara desert crossings requiring exceptional pre-crossing fuel loading. Eastern-route birds cross the Mediterranean with less desert but different challenges. Stop-over site quality affects individual welfare outcomes measurably. Climate change affecting insect availability at crucial refuelling sites is increasing welfare costs during migration. Public engagement with individual named cuckoo welfare has created unprecedented public interest in migratory bird conservation.