Sayaan

Sayaan was named after Cuckoo funder Anne Master's new baby cousin. Sayaan is an old Saka name, Saka being the region of Siberia that his mum comes from, and it means “kind, generous and warm like the sun”.

Status:: Active
Tagged:: Thursday, May 18, 2023 - 05:00
Tagging Location:: Knepp Estate, Sussex
Sex:: Male
Age when found:: Adult
Satellite Tag No.:: 242502
Wing Length (mm):: 221

Sayaan's journey from 02 May 2024 to 25 April 2025

To
Start

-1
Week

-1
Day

Play

+1
Day

+1
Week

To
End

View routes starting..

Sayaan's position on

Sayaan's movements

25 Apr 2025 - Sayaan sails into Sussex

Hot on the heels of Cores and Wilfrid, Sayaan is the third of our tagged Cuckoos to return to his breeding area this spring.

Having made his way through the Italian Alps from Genoa, via Turin, in recent days, he then took off through France in a north-westerly direction, passing Paris and heading directly for The Channel. Around 7.30 this morning (25) he flew over Worthing and continued inland and is currently just south-west of Horsham, West Sussex.

He is in the same region where he was tagged in 2023 and where he also spent last summer.

16 Apr 2025 - Sayaan says salve!

Since our last update just two days ago, Sayaan has flown more than 2,000 km (1,242 miles) from central Algeria, to southern Italy. He is the only one of our current crop of tagged Cuckoos to take an easterly route.

He is currently in an area dominated by lush woodland, in the hills just 35 km (21 miles) west of Genoa.

14 Apr 2025 - Sayaan's Saharan sojourn

After a while gathering strength in the forests of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Sayaan has now set off across the Sahara. Our most recent signal was received on Sunday (11) afternoon, and showed him to be in central Algeria, close to the oasis town of Aïn Salah, the capital of In Salah Province.

Taking a slightly different route from last spring, when he took a more westerly path through Western Sahara and Morocco, it will be interesting to see where he crosses into Europe this year.

26 Mar 2025 - Sayaan springs into action

Sayaan has finally made a move, leaving his wintering grounds in the dense rainforests of the Congo basin. In just a few days, he rapidly flew over 2,000 km (1,240 miles) to the south-west Nigerian coast.

After a brief stop on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, he has now moved a further 470 km (292 miles) into central Ghana.

14 Feb 2025 - Sayaan's significant shift

After several weeks deep in the swampy forests near the Maringa River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sayaan appears to have become a little restless. In the last month he has covered some distance, first flying 420 km (260 miles) north-west to the border of the Republic of the Congo, before heading a further 230 km (143 miles) south-west to the expansive Likouala Aux Herbes River. Is he gearing up for a rapid move north?

Past updates from sayaan

Sponsor a Cuckoo and support the project

“This is my first year following the Cuckoo’s journey and I would like to thank you for the happiness and pleasure it has given me reading your updates. I look forward to the next journeys. Amazing!”

Sponsor your chosen Cuckoo with a monthly Direct Debit or a one-off donation, and receive exclusive updates and insight into their migration.

Become a Cuckoo sponsor today