Amur Falcon Tamenglong reaches Somalia after flying 5,700 km non-stop for 5 days
Newmai News Network
Imphal | November 25
The Manipur Forest and Environment Department has reason to cheer as ‘Tamenglong,’ the radio satellite tagged female Amur Falcon successfully reached Somalia, the easternmost country in Africa, according to a DIPR report.
Tamenglong reached Somalia covering the distance of 5,700 kms, flying non-stop for a total of five days and eight hours reaching on November 24 at 1:00 pm IST (Indian Standard Time), the DIPR report said.
The radio tagged migratory bird left its roost site in Tamenglong district in the morning of November 19. The GPS data on November 20 showed that the bird was flying over Odisha eastern shore, covering an average distance of 170 km per hour. Experts monitoring the bird reported that Tamenglong was covering a distance of 40 km in an hour on the particular day, the report said.
On November 21, Tamenglong along with Longleng, another radio tagged Amur Falcon were flying over the Arabian Sea, both of them were heading towards the African continent. Tamenglong had already covered a distance of 3,500 km, as per the report received on the day at 7:08 pm (IST).
Longleng, also a female Amur Falcon was radio tagged at a roost site in Yaongyimchen village in Longleng district of Nagaland on October 30, 2016. Experts monitoring the Longleng reported that the migratory bird was actively transmitting data since then in Dimapur in the middle of October this year. After a stop-over for a month, Longleng also started migrating on November 19. It had covered 3,000 km, as per the GPS data received at 11 pm (IST) on November 20.
The marathon journey of Tamenglong finally ended on November 24 after it reached its next roost site in Somalia at 1:00 pm (IST). Tamenglong reached its destination after flying 5,700 kms non-stop for five days and 8 hours crossing the Arabian Sea. Meanwhile, Longleng has reached Kenya, the DIPR report also said.
Due to the abundant termite and other insect food available to the Amur Falcons in Manipur and Nagaland, it is now learnt that almost all of the world’s Amur Falcons pass through this region. To support the conservation efforts initiated by State Forest Department for protection of the Amur Falcons during their migratory stop-over in Tamenglong district, a satellite tracking program to understand the movements of the birds was taken up, the DIPR report also said.
This is the first time that the satellite tagging on Amur Falcon is done in Manipur and for the third time in North East, also done by the same team. It was first initiated in Nagaland in 2013.
In a tragic incident, ‘Manipur’ was hunted down at Khebuching bordering Tamenglong district and Noney district on November 9 despite the prohibitory order issued by Tamenglong district administration banning usage of air guns along Irang river near Gwangram, Puching, Rangkhung and Taobam villages, the DIPR report said.
Thereafter, massive awareness campaigns were carried out by the Forest Department along with the Wildlife experts and locals, fearing for the lives of Tamenglong, other birds and wildlife. In a historic moment, number of locals of Tamenglong and Noney voluntarily surrendered their air guns, a gesture which was never seen or heard before. Various village authorities issued circular to residents to surrender air guns as they could not take chance this time.
As an initiative to save Amur Falcons, Forest and Environment Minister Th. Shyamkumar on November 6 inaugurated Information & Interpretation Centre and five Amur Falcon watch towers at a function held at Phalong (Bhalok) village. Two Amur Falcon watch towers are located at Phalong (Bhalok), one each at Sonram, Azuram and Bamgaijang.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force K. Angami even announced that the Forest Department will urge the State Government to declare Tamenglong as the Amur Falcon district at the 4th Amur Falcon Festival.
