Imphal, Oct 23: Two of the three satellite-tagged Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis), named Apapang and Alang, have returned to their roosting site in Manipur after travelling across 23 countries during their migratory journey across Asia and Africa.
The two birds, a male named Apapang and a female named Alang, arrived in Manipur on Thursday, nearly a year after they were fitted with satellite transmitters by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in November 2025.
Sharing the update on microblogging website on Friday, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said the falcons had begun their journey from their breeding grounds in northeastern China 11 days earlier.
“A journey to India through 23 countries! Having started from their breeding areas in northeastern China 11 days ago, the two Amur Falcons Apapang and Alang arrived in Manipur yesterday,” the minister wrote.
He added that their return marked the completion of nearly a year of tracking and their round-trip journey since being tagged by WII scientists.
Dr Suresh Kumar of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, who has been monitoring the birds' migratory routes, also confirmed their arrival in Tamenglong district.
“Yes, they arrived yesterday,” he said when contacted.
The three satellite-tagged Amur Falcons Apapang, Ahu and Alang were named after a roosting site and two rivers, Barak and Irang, in Manipur's Tamenglong district. They were fitted with satellite transmitters at Chiuluan village on November 11, 2025, as part of efforts to study and conserve the migratory birds.
However, contact with Ahu, a female falcon, was lost during its migratory journey in Somalia, Africa.
According to Yadav, Apapang and Alang are expected to spend two to three weeks at selected sites in the mountainous areas of Tamenglong district. Local communities eagerly await the birds' return every year and play an important role in protecting them.
During the stopover, the falcons feed on termites emerging in and around their roosting sites to build up fat reserves for the next leg of their migration. The birds are expected to undertake a six-day, non-stop flight of nearly 6,000 km towards Somalia, including a crossing of approximately 3,000 km over the Arabian Sea.
In May this year, Yadav had described Manipur's satellite-tagging programme for Amur Falcons as ooe of India's successful community-led conservation initiatives.
The radio-tagging programme was undertaken by the Tamenglong Forest Division in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India. The initiative was first launched in the hill district in November 2018, and more than a dozen Amur Falcons have since been fitted with radio transmitters.
Locally known as Akhuaipuina or Taomuanpui, Amur Falcons are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and included in Schedule I.
The birds breed in southeastern Russia and northeastern China before migrating to their wintering grounds in southern Africa. They begin their return journey around April and May, travelling through parts of Asia.
These pigeon-sized raptors undertake an annual migration of approximately 20,000 km, making them among the world's most remarkable long-distance migratory birds.
Every October, Amur Falcons arrive in large numbers in Manipur and Nagaland, along with other locations in Northeast India. They typically leave the region in November after building up the energy reserves needed for their long, non-stop flight to Africa, where they spend the winter.