Two satellite‑tagged Amur falcons, named Apapang and Alang, have returned to Manipur after completing a year‑long, transcontinental voyage that took them through 23 countries, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Friday.
What the tracking revealed
Scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) fitted the birds with satellite transmitters at a roost site in Tamenglong district in November 2025. According to the Union environment ministry update, the tagged falcons left their breeding grounds in northeastern China and, after travelling across Asia and Africa, arrived back in Manipur this week. The tracking data constitute nearly a year of continuous information on routes, stopovers and endurance.
The two birds are expected to remain at selected stopover sites in the mountainous tracts of Tamenglong for about two to three weeks, where they will feed intensively on emerging termites to build fat reserves vital for their next long segment.
“The Amur falcons are truly global citizens,” said Bhupender Yadav, describing the conservation and scientific significance of the birds’ journey.
Notable distances and stages
Ministry statements and reporting by WII highlight several striking elements of the migration:
- 23 countries traversed by the falcons during their round‑trip migration.
- A long sea crossing of roughly 3,000 km over the Arabian Sea as part of a nearly 6,000 km non‑stop flight between northeast India and Somalia on earlier legs of migration.
- Return to Manipur after an overall tracking period approaching one year, yielding continuous movement data for researchers.
These movements underscore the Amur falcon’s status as one of the most remarkable long‑distance migratory raptors, and the value of satellite telemetry for conservation science.
Local conservation and community role
The Tamenglong roosting sites have long been recognised as important stopovers for Amur falcons arriving in northeast India. Local communities in parts of Manipur historically protect the birds during their stay; the ministry’s update noted that residents now “eagerly wait for their return year after year and protect the falcons.”
Conservationists say community protection during these concentrated stopover periods is crucial because the birds depend on abundant insect prey — particularly swarming termites — to accumulate fat for long, energy‑intensive flights. The satellite tags make it possible to match on‑ground protection efforts with precise arrival times, helping to direct local monitoring and habitat safeguards when the birds are present.
Scientific implications and follow‑up
WII’s telemetry programme, which tagged Apapang and Alang in November 2025, aims to map migratory corridors, timing and critical stopover locations. Such data are essential to identifying international threats along flyways, including habitat loss, hunting pressure and hazards at stopover or staging sites.
The ministry report also referred to a third tagged bird in the same project. Signals from that individual were lost in Somalia earlier this year, highlighting both the success of telemetry and the challenges of maintaining contact across vast distances.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tagged birds | Apapang, Alang (two confirmed returns); third bird lost contact |
| Countries traversed | 23 |
| Notable sea crossing | ~3,000 km over Arabian Sea (part of ~6,000 km non‑stop leg) |
| Stopover in Manipur | Tamenglong district; stay of 2–3 weeks expected |
Practical information and outlook
Residents and visiting birdwatchers in Tamenglong can expect the tagged birds to remain within established roosting areas for short periods as they refuel. Authorities and researchers can use the telemetry feeds to coordinate local monitoring and to limit disturbance around known sites while the falcons are present.
From a policy perspective, the cross‑border nature of these migrations underlines the need for multinational cooperation on flyway conservation. Data from WII and the environment ministry help identify priority locations for protection and can inform engagement with countries along the route.
For Manipur, the annual return of Amur falcons is both a conservation success story and a reminder of the region’s role in a global ecological network. Continued telemetry and community stewardship offer a pathway to safeguarding these long‑distance migrants in the years ahead.
