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Scientists in the UK are hoping to find out what is happening to the cuckoos, whose numbers in that area have declined by two thirds.  They intend to trap the birds and fit them with GPS satellite tracking devices to figure out just where these birds are going.

The cost of the devices has limited research to just five male birds, but down the road they hope to tag more.  Dr. Hewson, research ecologist from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), recently stated that five birds should be enough to collect useful data for the time being.

The birds are only in the UK from April to July, and Hewson wants to see exactly what and where the problem is.  He feels that climate change is to blame, pushing the birds further north towards  Scotland.  The GPS device will tell scientists  exactly where these birds are going, and with the two to three year life span of the solar powered device, where they are dying.

The BTO will set up a public website for those who are curious. You can read more about this story here.

Will cuckoo birds become extinct? Only time will tell.

Article Written by Khristen Fosss