File - Migratory Amur Falcons at roosting site near the Doyang Reservoir.
KOHIMA, JANUARY 12 (MExN): The three Amur Flacons that were satellite tagged and released on November 7, 2013 from Doyang have reached South Africa. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest for Nagaland, P Lokeswara Rao informed through a press note that the birds (named Naga, Wokha and Panti) took slightly different routes to reach South Africa by January 9, 2014.
As per satellite updates, the birds flew from Doyang, Nagaland over Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Bangladesh, the Bay of Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, the Arabian Sea, Somalia and Kenya, within a timeframe of thirteen days. The birds remained at the Tsavo East National Park, Kenya for sometime before resuming their journey. On their way from Kenya, the birds again took slightly different routes, through Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Botswana to finally reach South Africa, where they will spend the winter.
The three Amur Falcons were tagged in order to prepare a conservation action plan for the birds by understanding their seasonal migration patterns. The birds were fitted with satellite tags with antennas and solar panels on the backs of the birds. The tagging was done under a joint scientific mission, involving the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun; Convention on Migratory Species Office, United Nations Environment Programme, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and the Nagaland Forest Department.
Prior to the release of the birds, a massive campaign was launched in 2013, by both government and non government agencies to step up efforts in protecting the Amur Falcon. This was done in the backdrop of the mass killing of the birds in the state, which received worldwide attention in 2012.
The Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) is a small raptor belonging to the falcon family (Falconidae). Every October, a large number of Amur Falcons arrive in the North East, especially Nagaland, from Siberia en route to their final destination — Somalia, Kenya and South Africa. Though the Amur Falcon is not an endangered species of bird, there has been a huge interest for the majestic bird species because of its migratory behaviour.
