
30/12/2024
Amazing journey of Amur Falcons passing through 23 countries
The Wildlife Institute of India is tracking the migration of Amur Falcons through satellite, and the study has helped in understanding many unknown facts about the small pigeon-sized raptor birds. These falcons pass through 23 countries during their migration.
At a time when Manipur has been creating headlines, unfortunately for ethnic violence, a district of this northeastern state is in the news for some good reasons. That too for two small pigeon-sized raptor birds! The Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun) geo-tagged two Amur Falcons in district Tamenglong in November this year to track their migration route through satellite, and the birds have crossed many countries to reach their winter abode in Africa.
This year, two Amur Falcons were radio tagged in Manipur on November 8. Honouring the two key stopover sites of the migratory birds, the winged guests were named ‘Chiuluan2’ and ‘Gwangram’—based on two villages in district Tamenglong. The 20,000 km long migration route of the Amur Falcon from their breeding ground in North China, halting in northeast India to different countries, presents an amazing story. The birds pass through 23 countries, including China, India, Nepal, Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Oman, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Africa, during their migration. The study on the Amur Falcon is helping generate awareness, and local people are contributing to the conservation of this raptor bird species.
In 11 years time, the Amur Falcon conservation project has made rapid progress. Hunters have turned conservationists, and this is the biggest success of the project.
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