Radio-tagged Amur Falcon from state reaches Somalia-Kenya border
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 23 2024: In a significant development for wildlife conservation and migratory bird studies, one of the two satellite-tagged Amur falcons from Manipur has reached the Somalia-Kenya border.

The male falcon, named Chi-uluan 2' named after a village in Tamenglong district, successfully crossed the Arabian Sea to arrive at its first stop-over site in Somalia earlier this week.

Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientist Dr R Suresh Kumar, who has been monitoring the migratory route of the bird, confirmed the development.

"Chiuluan 2, who set out on his non-stop onward journey from Guhagar in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district on Sunday morning at around 10:30 AM, reached Somalia on Tuesday evening around 7 pm (1ST).By Friday, the bird was near the Somalia-Kenya border," Dr Kumar stated.

In contrast, the female falcon 'Guangram', another satellite-tagged bird, remains in Tamenglong district, Dr Kumar added.

Both falcons were radio-tagged and released by the state forest department in collaboration with WII and local villagers on November 8.The tagging aims to study the migratory routes and environmental patterns affecting these long-distance travellers.

The release of Chiuluan 2 and Guangram was part of a larger initiative that included the ringing of nine other Amur falcons with BNHS rings bearing identification numbers C58352 to C58362.The event marked the continuation of radio-tagging efforts in Tamenglong, which began in November 2018 with the first tagging of these migratory birds, followed by another programme in 2019 involving five birds.

Amur falcons, known as the world's longest-traveling birds, are pigeon-sized raptors that undertake an annual migration covering approximately 20,000 kilometres.

Protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, these birds spend their summers breeding in southeastern Russia and northeastern China before migrating to their wintering grounds in South Africa.

Their migratory route includes stopovers in India's Northeast and Somalia.

Locally known as Akhuai-puina, Amur falcons arrive in large numbers in Nagaland, Manipur, and a few other northeastern states of India around October.

After feeding sufficiently for their non-stop flight to Africa, they leave the region in November.

Their return journey begins in April-May, traversing Afghanistan and East Asia.

The tagging and conservation efforts in Tamenglong highlight the community's commitment to protecting these birds.

This year's efforts were marked by the 9th Amur Falcon Festival, held on Thursday at Tamenglong headquarters, 150 km west of Imphal.

Organised by the state forest department with support from local bodies and villagers, the festival featured a variety of wildlife conservation events aimed at raising awareness and fostering cooperation in preserving these remarkable migratory birds.

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