• ! Migration of the birds is a natural survival strategy.
• $ Chiuluan 2, an Amur falcon named after a village in Manipur’s Tamenglong district.
• & ‘Least Concern’ in IUCN’s Red List.

December 2024

Siberia to Mozambique via Manipur

17 birds tagged in 10 years

Over a period of 10 years, the WII team captured and geotagged 17 different Amur falcons across different villages in Nagaland and Manipur, targeting regions that were major hotspots of these birds.

First geotagged bird - Pangti

The first geotagged bird was Pangti, named after a village in Nagaland where the large-scale hunting of these birds was first brought to notice publicly.

Forest department of Nagaland + WII + CMS

The Forest Department of Nagaland acted swiftly in inviting WII and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), an international body on migratory birds, to work together for the falcons’ conservation.

Chiuluan 2

“The reason we have a second bird named Chiuluan is because of the peoples’ persistence,” said Supriya Sahu, an IAS officer from Tamil Nadu who has closely followed the Amur falcon project. “It is a testament to their commitment to the birds’ well-being.”

Native to Amur River in Siberia

The Amur falcons, native to the Amur River in Siberia, used to be regularly hunted across Manipur, Nagaland, and parts of Assam whenever they’d stopover in the winter.

2013, WII first tracking project

In 2013, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) started its first falcon tracking project in Nagaland, and since then it has taken years of awareness campaigns, tracking projects and working with the state forest departments for the local communities to not only stop hunting the avian but actively protect them, too.

One major stopover in Northeast India

Each time as November rolls in and the Northern Hemisphere’s winters begin, the Amur falcons leave their breeding grounds in Russia, China, parts of Korea, and Japan to make the transequatorial journey towards their summer haunt of South Africa. This route is interrupted with one major stopover for the birds – in northeastern India.

Reasons for stop over in India

Several historical factors including monsoon patterns, the availability of termites, and trade winds over the Arabian Sea coalesce to make northeast India the best stopover for these Amur falcons.

Termites - Major source of protein

“The answer to why the birds come to Northeast India is one word – termites,” says Kumar, 85 percent of the diet of the Amur falcon consists of termites which are abundantly available in Nagaland and Manipur right after the rains.

Just like humans stock up on protein before hitting the gym, so do birds. Termites are the best source of protein for them, and northeast states in India have just had their rainy season end in October so they’re teeming with these insects.”

The insectivorous raptors take two to three week long breaks in their northeast Indian haunts and fuel up on insects. Print

November 2025

Manipur Amur Falcon Tracking project

Three Amur falcons tagged in Manipur as part of an ongoing Manipur Amur Falcon Tracking project, have completed their transoceanic migration to Somalia, covering nearly 5,000 kilometres in just over five days.

1,000 km a day

Apapang (adult male) alone covered nearly 5,400 km in 5 days and 15 hours, flying almost 1,000 km a day, maintaining an uninterrupted pace across the Arabian Sea.

Last year, tracked one bird

Last year, the Wildlife Institute of India tracked a bird that followed the same route — to Guinea and Somalia, where it stayed for about three months until Siberian conditions eased, before returning to Siberia and then back to India.

Following same ancient route with astonishing precision

“This year, we are tracking three birds. It is fascinating and it’s truly a wonder of nature. They are following the same ancient routes with astonishing precision."

Energy for transcontinental journey

Those fat reserves from termites sustain them through the nonstop oceanic leg, where food and water are unavailable.

Stop at Manipur and Nagaland

Before starting their transcontinental journey, the birds stop in Manipur and Nagaland, where their arrival coincides with the mass emergence of termites.

Community led conservation efforts

The Amur falcon’s journey was once threatened by widespread hunting during their stopovers in Northeast India. Community-led conservation efforts in Manipur and Nagaland have since transformed the landscape, with villagers now protecting the birds and celebrating their arrival as a symbol of coexistence and local pride.

Prohibitory orders to protect the Amur Falcons

Manipur’s Additional District Magistrate Noney has issued prohibitory orders to protect migratory Amur Falcons from 10 November.

The directive is to enforce a complete ban on hunting, killing and trading of the species and mandates all residents to surrender their air guns to village authorities until 30 November, when the birds’ migration from Manipur completes. Print