Amur falcon flies 4,000km, from Africa to Odisha

KENDRAPADA: A male amur falcon, satellite-tagged in Manipur last year, reached Odisha after an extraordinary 4,000-km journey from southern Africa, scientists confirmed Friday.
The bird, named ‘Chiuluan 2', was fitted with a satellite transmitter by researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, as part of a project to track migratory routes. Dr. Suresh Kumar, a senior WII scientist leading the study, reported that the bird's GPS tracker documented its presence at multiple locations across Odisha, including the Karlapat wildlife sanctuary in Kalahandi district on April 30, followed by sightings near Phulbani and Dhenkanal district on May 1 and 2, respectively.
The falcon's remarkable journey began when it was tagged and released on Nov 8, 2024, in Manipur's Tamenglong district. It spent 114 days in southern Africa, including 46 days in Botswana's Central Kalahari Reserve, before beginning its return journey. The bird covered 3,800 km in just 93 hours, crossing the Arabian Sea and flying over Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh before reaching Odisha. "Another tagged female falcon, ‘Guangram', reached Kenya on Feb 1, but its transmitter ceased functioning due to technical issues," Dr. Kumar added.
The amur falcon (Falco amurensis), comparable in size to a pigeon, is known for undertaking one of the longest migrations among birds of prey. These falcons travel from their breeding grounds in Far East Asia to their wintering grounds in Africa, making a crucial stopover in north-east India.
"During their migration, they complete aroud 6,000-km journey, including the longest overwater flight of any raptor across the Arabian Sea," said Dr. Kumar. Thousands of these falcons visit Manipur and Nagaland annually between Oct and Nov during their migration. The ongoing satellite tagging project aims to enhance understanding of their migratory patterns and strengthen conservation efforts for this globally migrating species.