Amur Falcon : A success story of wildlife conservation

Kh Hitler Singh *

Tagged Amur Falcon Longleng may cross NE :: Pix - TSE

The species : Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) which is locally known as Akhoipuina or Kahoipuina in the Rongmei dialect is a small raptor bird which migrate in large numbers up-to several lakh from Siberian and Northern China during the winter season to the warmer climatic region in the southern countries such as Myanmar, North East India, Central India, Western India and South Africa in search of food and adaptable temperature.

The migration of this bird was taken as a very good sign of bounty harvest and onset of winter season in Tamenglong district in the past and the village elders took it as the messenger of the God of good harvest. In the olden time these birds were admired and never hunted. But in recent past there were hunting of these birds in large number by using different tool such as nylon traps and air guns. Some villagers use to sell these killed birds either in raw or roasted some years back in the local market.

Due to large scale awareness and enforcement of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 by the Forest Department, Manipur with the help of local communities the scenario has improved and menace of hunting and trade in wildlife products is under control.

The approximate size is of common pigeon. The body length is about 26 cm to 30 cm with wing span of about 63 cm to 71 cm. The weight ranges from 97 gm to 170 gm in male bird and from 111 gm to 195 gm in female bird. Amur falcons are raptor birds feeding on several insects. The diets include Termites, Locusts, Ants, Beetles, Mice, etc.

The male is blackish grey in color and female bird is brighter in color both having under wing whitish in color. The female is larger in size than the male. The life span of free range Amur falcon is not yet ascertained but its sister species Red footed falcons has the life span of 13.5 years in the wild and upto 18 (eighteen) years in captivity. Thus Amur falcon life span shall be around 10(ten) to 13(thirteen) years in the wild.

The Amur Falcon roosting villages in Tamenglong district : The two river system; Barak and Irang are important for the migratory Amur Falcons. They usually roost in the Moubi Bamboo (Melocanna baccifera) forest of the two rivers. The important villages for roosting of Amur Falcons are Chiluan, Khangchiluan, Puching (Khebuching), Guangram, Toubam, Vanchengphai, Sonpram, Lenglong, Bamgaijang, Old Tamenglong etc.

The roosting of Amur Falcons are subject to the security to the birds. They may prefer some villages in one year and may change in the next year. This happened to Bhalok (Phalong) village. The village had Amur Falcon roosting upto 2017, but Amur Falcon didn't roost for the last three years.

CMS Or Bonn Convention: The CMS or the "Bonn Convention" is an Environmental Treaty of United Nations which provides for conservation and sustainable use of migratory species and their habitats. It aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range. It has 129 Nations as participant party. India is a participant Nation since 1983.

Conservation status: The bird is categorized as the Least Concern under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is protected under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and it is included in the Schedule-IV of the Act. Any person who hunt Amur falcon or sell its meat is liable to be punished with imprisonment up to three years or fine up to Rs 25,000 (Rupees twenty five thousand) or both in India.

Strategy adopted by the Forest Department, Manipur through MOEF &CC funding;

1) Large scale awareness program like Amur falcon Dance Festival at District HQ of Tamenglong,
2) Seeking support from important public leaders, local leaders, Church leaders etc.
3) Utilizing the positive reporting of Wildlife Conservation through print & electronic media,
4) Mutual rapport & seeking support from local NGOs, and village authority and village level awareness campaign
5) Engaging local unemployed youth for protection of roosting site of Amur Falcons as local protection volunteers during the migratory period
6) Providing alternative means of livelihood & income generation to the jhum cultivators through agro forestry plantation or poultry rearing
7) Protection measure such as surprise market raid to check sale of wildlife product etc.

Migration study: It is one of the longest distance migratory birds covering a distance of about 30,000 kms in a single season migration. The birds being warm blooded could not withstand the severe winter cold climate in its breeding ground in North China and Siberia. As the area is covered by snow the availability of food for the birds also decreases.

The migration starts during October from its breeding ground towards the Southern latitude. They stop at Myanmar and come to North East India, Central India, and Western India and further migrate to the South African countries with nonstop flying over the Arabian Sea. The migration route and other detailed is clearer with the recent satellite tracking of Amur Falcon birds namely Chiulon, Barak & Irang by WII, Dehradun and Forest Department Manipur.

The satellite tagged Amur Falcons migrate from their breeding ground from October first week towards North East India. They come through China, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. They stay from second week to last week of November in North East India in the State of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya etc. They spend the winter cold season in the warm area of South Africa and stay there up-to March, April.

From May onward they return to their breeding site in Mongolia, East China, Eastern Russia. Forest Department Manipur in collaboration with Wildlife Institute of India had undertaken a research project of satellite transmitter tagging to few Amur birds since 2018.

2 Amur Falcons satellite tagged :: Pix - TSE

In 2018 two Amur christened as Manipur and Tamenglong were released after tagging with satellite transmitters in Chiulon village on 4th November 2018. The capture and release of the two Amur Falcons were carried out by a team headed by Dr Suresh Kumar Scientist E of WII, Dehradun with a team of Raptor Biologists from Hungary. The Hungarian team consisted of Peter Fehervari, Peter Palatitz & Zsofia Sumegi.

Just few days after the release; Manipur was killed by some unknown hunter in the Puching area in the Noney & Tamenglong districts border. Tamenglong was giving data regularly till December 14, 2018. It lost contact in Zambia. The tracking exercise was then short lived.

With more expectation of good success in tracking, in 2019, five birds were captured and tagged & released with the satellite transmitters in Puching village of Tamenglong district. On 31st October 2019, we tagged & released Puching and Irang and on the next day i.e. 1st November 2019, we tagged & released Barak, Phalong and Chiulon. This time Dr. Suresh Kumar Scientist E and Amarjeet Kaur, Research Scholar had undertaken the work of tagging the five Amur Falcons with satellite transmitters. They were further assisted by the Alex Jacob and Forest Staff of Tamenglong Forest Division.

Successful tracking Of Amur falcons:- Out of the five birds three birds namely Irang, Chiulon and Barak were active and giving satellite data regularly. Two birds Phalong and Puching could not be in contact with the satellite just after few days of release. The three birds Irang, Puching and Barak had successfully migrated to South Africa. They spent the winter of 2019 in warm climate of South Africa. They returned during May 2020.

Chiulon and Irang could reach their Breeding Site successfully in 2020. But Barak was to face the cyclone Amphan while in the Odisha area and another thunderstorm in Bangladesh & Meghalaya Border. Barak was active till 29 May 2020 after that its contact with satellite transmitter got lost. Chiulon reached its breeding site in East China in mid-May and stayed there up-to First week of October and reached Puching the same Roosting Site on 26th October 2020 after 361 days when it was captured in the village and released after tagging satellite transmitter.

Likewise Irang also arrived in Puching Roosting Site on 27th October 2020. The arrival of two tagged Amur falcons Chiulon & Irang in the same roosting site after a period of 361 days was quite historic and Hon'ble Forest Minister Shri Awangbow Newmai described the success thus- "It is a moment of pride for all of us, the successful return of satellite-tagged Amurs is an Historic event and will be remembered not only by conservationist but people from all walk of life.

The return of Amur has also placed Manipur in the global conservation map and is yet again an example of people's desire to protect nature and show case their efforts to protect and provide safe passage to the migratory Amur falcons. This was possible because of the partnership between Forest Department, Scientists and researchers, members of NGO such as Rainforest Club Tamenglong, Village Authorities and most importantly local people all of them coming together.

Our Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri N. Biren Singh had appreciated the support of the peoples of Tamenglong District in protecting Amur falcons and he had declared for rewards to the Amur falcon protecting villages in his public speeches on 13/3/2021. The successful Amur falcon conservation initiatives has set the stage for many more such activities in Manipur in the near future such as Hornbill Project, Serow Conservation Project, Project Tiger etc.

The Facebook Post of Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change on October 27, 2020 also described the success as "A milestone has been achieved in the conservation efforts of birds, as an Amur falcon named Irang, tagged in Manipur has returned back to the state after completing its migratory route full circle & covering 29,000 km. another Amur named Chiulan has also arrived in the state yesterday"

Yet in another Facebook Post of Hon'ble Union Minister, Environment, Forest & Climate Change Shri Prakash Jabedkar appreciated and highlighted the arrival of the two tagged Amur falcons Chiulon and Irang to Somalia on 11 and 12 November 2020 in their second year migration covering 5700km and 5400 km in five and half days nonstop flight.

Arrival at South Africa in 2020: Chiulon & Irang are regularly giving satellite data during its second year of migration to African Continent after tagging. They were enjoying the warm climate of South Africa; Irang was in Namibia and Chiulon was in Zimbawe & Botswana border as on 24th December 2020.

Return Journey from South Africa in 2021: Chiulon and Irang had left South Africa by around 30/3/2021. They left the African Continent on 22/4/2021 by leaving Somalia. They undertook over Ocean flight to reach Western India and they reached Myanmar on 28/4/2021. They had reached safely their breeding ground in North East China on 8/5/2021; which was incidentally the World Migratory Bird Day 2021.

They shall lay their eggs and shall be hatching them within five to six months and they shall again come to Tamenglong and adjoining areas in North East India along with their young ones in October/November this year. Their journey can be joyfully tracked in the website www.satellitetracking.eu .

Let us pray for their safety in the breeding ground and let us eagerly wait to welcome them in their third years of migration in coming winter of 2021.


(This article is intended for creating awareness and in academic interest; the ideas and views expressed are writer's own and not necessarily that of the Forest Department, Government of Manipur. The writer would like to thank Shri K. Angami PCCF & HoFF, Shri A. K. Joshi PCCF (Wildlife) cum Chief Wildlife Warden, Dr. R. Suresh Kumar Scientist E, WII, Dehradun for kind encouragement & guidance)