RSPB's Fiona Freshney, Dartmoor Moorland Bird Advisor, talks about the plight of our UK cuckoos and a new project on Dartmoor that is trying to help them.
Despite unseasonably cool weather, those long distance migrants, the nest parasitizing cuckoo, are back in the UK. If you live in south-west England and regularly hear their distinctive call in summer, chances are you live on Dartmoor or Exmoor; cuckoo are scarce elsewhere and rarely breed in lowland farmland other than in extensive wetland habitats such as the Somerset Levels. Historically widespread, the cuckoo population in England has declined significantly since the 1980’s and the Devon Bird Atlas, published in 2016, found the cuckoo to be one of the fastest declining species in the County. Dartmoor remains a key stronghold, but even here, is their future certain?
Photo 1: Cuckoo chick by Barry Rankine
The reasons for their swift decline are not yet understood, but research into the cuckoo’s ecology is underway on Dartmoor with Exeter University, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), and the RSPB, attempting to shed light on possible factors.
A reduction in the availability of large caterpillar larvae, an important part of their diet, could be an issue, or their decline might relate to reductions in number of their ‘host’ species. On Dartmoor meadow pipit appear to be the main host and the moorland supports a sizable population of these pipits, but in lowland Devon they are scarce and declining. Satellite tagging has shown that cuckoo only spend 15% of their time in the UK, wintering in central Africa, crossing many countries on route, some of which serve as refueling stopovers. Habitat loss or degradation on the migration route could also be a factor.
Photo 2: Meadow pipit by Tom Marshall (rspb-images.com)
The research on Dartmoor is helping to define what constitutes good breeding habitat for cuckoos, such as the presence of scattered trees on which they perch to scan for their host’s nests, and it is hoped that this knowledge can help guide land management on the moor.
Photo 3: Dartmoor by Fiona Freshney
In 2017 the Dartmoor Moorland Bird Project was set-up, an initiative supported and guided by a wide-ranging partnership, which aims to work together to ensure Dartmoor remains a special place for cuckoo and other threatened birds, through engagement with land managers and influencing management practices.
To help with the ongoing research you can submit your Devon cuckoo sightings to Devon Birds, here. This site created to help further the understanding of the distribution of cuckoo in the County.