Satellite tracking of common cuckoos has revealed the extraordinary challenges of their migration to tropical Africa, with welfare implications from dehydration, starvation, and habitat loss at staging areas.
Cuckoo welfare is challenged throughout their extraordinary annual cycle. The non-stop Sahara crossing tests physiological limits: birds must arrive at staging areas on the southern side with sufficient reserves to survive and refuel. Loss of staging habitat in West and Central Africa reduces refuelling opportunities. On UK breeding grounds, climate mismatch between cuckoo arrival and peak caterpillar availability reduces successful host parasitism and chick welfare. Each stage of the cycle is energetically demanding, and adverse conditions accumulate to reduce individual survival and welfare.