By Phanjoubam Chingkheinganba
Imphal, Apr 16: An Amur Falcon bird which was radio-tagged in Manipur in November last year has started its return journey to Siberia after staying for 114 days in Southern African countries, a scientist said.
On October 12 last year, two Amur Falcon birds had arrived from Siberia in Manipur’s Tamenglong district and were radio-tagged by scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The male bird was named ‘Chiuluan 2’ while the female bird was named ‘Guangram’ after two roosting villages in Tamenglong district.
WII senior scientist Suresh Kumar, who is monitoring the bird’s migratory route, told PTI, “Chiuluan 2 is now on its return journey to Siberia. It has crossed Zimbabwe, and Tanzania and is currently near the Kenya-Somalia border. It started its northward journey from Botswana on April 8 morning.”
Kumar said the bird which previously left Manipur on November 8 last year had reached South Africa on December 20 last year after an epic flight and then headed to Botswana where it stayed for more than a month.
“It spent 114 days in Southern Africa with 46 days in the Central Kalahari Reserve in Botswana from where it started its return journey,” Kumar said.
“I am expecting Chiuluan 2 to start the oceanic crossing after 10 days,” Kumar added.
After radio-tagging with satellite transmitters in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, Chiuluan 2 was released on November 8 last year.
Chiuluan 2 passed through Bangladesh, Odisha, Maharashtra and eventually crossed the Arabian Sea to reach the Somalia-Kenya borders in the last week of November last year.
On the behavioural pattern in the migratory routes of the Amur Falcons, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Tamenglong, Kh Hitler Singh told PTI, “In return journey, Amur Falcons don’t stop at Tamenglong. They will come back in October after their breeding season at the Amur river region from May to October.”
The DFO said the female bird Guangram which was also radio-tagged in Manipur’s Tamenglong, “Stopped giving satellite data while it was somewhere near Kenya in December 2024.”
Amur Falcons annually leave the cold harsh weather of Siberia and Northern China when winter approaches and travels a distance of approximately 14,500 km to head for the wintering grounds in South Africa and later from April-May start their return journey, Singh said.
He said the objective of the research is to study the migratory route of one of the world’s longest-travelling birds. The annual migration of Amur falcon covers a distance of approximately 22,000 km, the DFO said.
After arriving from Siberia to make a stop-over in Nagaland and Manipur and a few other areas of North East region, the Amur Falcons locally known as ‘Akhuaipuina’ roost for an average of 45 days where they engage in feeding for the arduous journey ahead, Singh said. (PTI)
