Challenge 27: Record the sound of a cuckoo

Points available: 3

About the challenge

The cuckoo is synonymous with spring and was once common all across the UK. It has declined by 70% in just the last 20 years. Fortunately, Dartmoor is still a stronghold for the cuckoo and its call can be heard from April when it returns from Africa to breed.

Visit Dartmoor for a spring walk and listen out for the call of the cuckoo. If you are lucky enough to hear one, record the sound of the cuckoos call and where you were when you heard it then share it with us at education@dartmoor.gov.uk

Helpful tips

Find out more about these birds which migrate from Africa each year and parasitise other birds. Which birds do all the hard work for the cuckoo?

More information

Read more  on the decline of the cuckoo on the BTO website

We were partners in a cuckoo project to learn more about Dartmoor's cuckoos and where they migrate to. You can watch a short film here which talks about the project  and the  lifecycle of the cuckoo