Amur falcons

Oct. 31, 2022

Amur falcons, the world’s longest travelling raptors, began to arrive in Manipur’s Tamenglong district as part of its annual routine migration.

About:

Migration Journey:
- Locally known as Akhuipuina, the bird arrives mainly in Manipur and Nagaland on its southbound migration from breeding grounds in North China, Eastern Mongolia and far-east Russia en-route to its wintering grounds in South Africa.
- The one-way journey via India is about 20,000 km long and the birds do this twice a year.
Conservation efforts:
- Amur falcon is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and included under its Schedule IV.
- Hunting of the birds or possessing its meat is punishable with imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to Rs 5,000.
- In 2018, the forest department started a conservation programme by radio-tagging the birds to study their migratory route.
IUCN status is Least Concern.