Imphal, October 14: Amur falcons have begun arriving in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, marking the start of their annual migration, with the first sightings reported by residents of Guangram village on October 11.
The migratory raptors typically arrive in the Northeast from the second week of October and remain at their roosting sites until late November before embarking on their onward journey to Africa.
Confirming the arrival, Tamenglong Divisional Forest Officer Amit Kelar said the birds had started arriving in small batches.
Guangram village, where the first sightings were reported this year, is located around 150 km west of Imphal.
Amur falcons (Falco amurensis) are among the world’s longest-distance migratory raptors, travelling around 20,000 km annually between their breeding grounds and wintering sites in southern Africa. They arrive in large numbers in Nagaland, Manipur and other parts of the Northeast in October before departing in November.
Meanwhile, two satellite-tagged Amur falcons, Apapang, a male, and Alang, a female, began their southbound migration from their breeding grounds in northeastern China on October 10. They are expected to reach Manipur by October 20, according to Suresh Kumar of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, who is tracking their movements.
The birds were named after a roosting site and the Barak and Irang rivers in Tamenglong district.
The satellite-tagging programme in Manipur began in 2018 to study the falcons’ migratory routes and environmental conditions along their journey. In 2019, a five-member WII team led by Kumar radio-tagged five Amur falcons, including two males, at Puching village and other locations in Tamenglong district.
The initiative was supported by the state Forest Department, district administration, Rainforest Club, Tamenglong, and local residents.
Conservation efforts in Tamenglong and Noney districts include awareness programmes and the annual Amur Falcon Festival, which promotes community participation in protecting the migratory birds.
Amur falcons are protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. India is also a signatory to an international agreement on the conservation of migratory birds of prey.
In May this year, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav described Manipur’s satellite-tagging programme as “one of the successful community-led conservation efforts in India”.