To protect Amur Falcons, ban on airguns notified
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 10 2025: Strengthening measures to protect and preserve migratory birds including Amur Falcons, the Additional District Magistrate of Noney has put a blanket ban on airguns in the district.

In the move to check hunting of the migratory birds, especially the Amur Falcon during its roosting season, the Additional District Magistrate said all airguns must be deposited in the custody of the village authorities concerned until the flock leaves their roosting place or till November 30 .

The order shall apply to areas within the Noney district including Noney, Raengkhung, Awangkhul, Taobam, Khongsang, Rengpang, Nungba, Kambiron, Khumji, Nagaching, Kabui-Khullen, Puichi, Bakwa and Haochong, said the Additional District Magistrate.

The reports of collection of airguns shall be submitted to the office by November 15 .

Anyone found wilfully violating the prohibitory orders is liable to face consequence as per the law of the land, said the order issued today.

The order aims to curb hunting, catching, killing and selling of the migratory birds including the Amur Falcons.

Significantly, this order of the Additional District Magistrate came as Amur Falcons, locally known as Akhuaipuina, arrived at its roosting sites at Noney.

The Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis) are the world's longest travelling small raptors of the falcon family.

They take a yearly travel of about 20,000 kilometres.

These birds breed in South-Eastern Siberia and Northern China before migrating in large flocks across India, and over the Arabian Sea to Southern and East Africa in winter.

After migrating from their breeding ground, they reach North East India through China, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar during October.

They stay in North East States of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam and Meghalaya from the second week till the last week of November.

Then, they migrate and spend the cold winter season in the warm area of South Africa and stay there upto March, April.

Notably, to conserve them and study their migratory pattern, Amur Falcons were first tagged with satellite radios in Manipur in 2018.Hunting, killing and destruction of the migratory bird is a punishable offence under Section 50 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 .

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