Manipur's radio-tagged Amur Falcon begins 14,500-km return from Africa

Imphal, April 14: Chiuluan 2, a male Amur Falcon radio-tagged in Manipur’s Tamenglong district in November 2024, has begun its northward return journey after spending 114 days in Southern Africa, a senior scientist monitoring its movement has confirmed.

Dr Suresh Kumar, senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, who has been tracking the bird via satellite, said Chiuluan 2 began its return flight from Botswana on the morning of April 8.

“The bird has already crossed Zimbabwe and Tanzania, and is currently near the Kenya-Somalia border. It had spent 46 days in the Central Kalahari Reserve in Botswana, where it remained before starting its journey back,” Kumar said, adding that the falcon is expected to begin its oceanic crossing in the next ten days.

Chiuluan 2 was fitted with a satellite transmitter and released on November 8, 2024, from Tamenglong district.

It had embarked on an extraordinary journey, travelling over 14,500 km from Manipur to its wintering grounds in Southern Africa. The bird reached South Africa on December 20, before heading to Botswana.

The Amur Falcon, roughly the size of a pigeon, is known for undertaking one of the longest migratory journeys in the avian world.

These birds migrate annually from the cold climates of Siberia and northern China to southern Africa, returning via the same route around April-May to their breeding grounds near the Amur River.

Chiuluan 2, named after a roosting village in Tamenglong, had flown across Bangladesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, and the Arabian Sea before reaching East Africa on its southbound journey last year.

Another falcon, a female named Guangram—also tagged in October 2024—was being tracked alongside Chiuluan 2.

However, the bird stopped transmitting satellite data while it was near Kenya in December, according to Tamenglong Divisional Forest Officer, Kh Hitler Singh. Guangram had begun her migration later and travelled separately from Chiuluan 2.

Singh noted that while Amur Falcons use Tamenglong and parts of Northeast as stop-over sites during their southbound migration in October, they typically do not return to the area on their northward flight.

“They are expected back in October after completing their breeding season at the Amur River region from May to October,” he added.

Locally known as Akhuaipuina, Amur Falcons are a cherished presence in the Northeast during their annual passage, staying for around 45 days to feed and prepare for the arduous transcontinental journey.

The ongoing satellite tagging project aims to better understand their migratory behaviour and improve conservation efforts for the globally migrating species.