Amur Falcon : A success story of wildlife conservation

Kh Hitler Singh
Contd from previous issue
In 2018 two Amur christened as Manipur and Tamenglong were released after tagging with satellite transmitters in Chiulon village on 4th November 2018. The capture and release of the two Amur Falcons were carried out by a team headed by Dr Suresh Kumar Scientist E of WII, Dehradun with a team of Raptor Biologists from Hungary. The Hungarian team consisted of Peter Fehervari, Peter Palatitz & Zsofia Sumegi. Just few days after the release; Manipur was killed by some unknown hunter in the Puching area in the Noney & Tamenglong districts border. Tamenglong was giving data regularly till December 14, 2018. It lost contact in Zambia. The tracking exercise was then short lived.
With more expectation of good success in tracking, in 2019, five birds were captured and tagged & released with the satellite transmitters in Puching village of Tamenglong district. On 31st October 2019, we tagged & released Puching and Irang and on the next day i.e. 1st November 2019, we tagged & released Barak, Phalong and Chiulon. This time Dr. Suresh Kumar Scientist E and Amarjeet Kaur, Research Scholar had undertaken the work of tagging the five Amur Falcons with satellite transmitters. They were further assisted by the Alex Jacob and Forest Staff of Tamenglong Forest Division.
 Successful tracking Of Amur falcons:-Out of the five birds three birds namely Irang, Chiulon and Barak were active and giving satellite data regularly. Two birds Phalong and Puching could not be in contact with the satellite just after few days of release. The three birds Irang, Puching and Barak had successfully migrated to South Africa. They spent the winter of 2019 in warm climate of South Africa. They returned during May 2020. Chiulon and Irang could reach their Breeding Site successfully in 2020. But Barak was to face the cyclone Amphan while in the Odisha area and another thunderstorm in Bangladesh & Meghalaya Border. Barak was active till 29 May 2020 after that its contact with satellite transmitter got lost. Chiulon reached its breeding site in East China in mid-May and stayed there up-to First week of October and reached Puching the same Roosting Site on 26th October 2020 after 361 days when it was captured in the village and released after tagging satellite transmitter. Likewise Irang also arrived in Puching Roosting Site on 27th October 2020.  The arrival of two tagged Amur falcons Chiulon & Irang in the same roosting site after a period of 361 days was quite historic and Hon’ble Forest Minister Shri Awangbow Newmai described the success thus- “It is a moment of pride for all of us, the successful return of satellite-tagged Amurs is an Historic event and will be remembered not only by conservationist but people from all walk of life. The return of Amur has also placed Manipur in the global conservation map and is yet again an example of people’s desire to protect nature and show case their efforts to protect and provide safe passage to the migratory Amur falcons. This was possible because of the partnership between Forest Department, Scientists and researchers, members of NGO such as Rainforest Club Tamenglong, Village Authorities and most importantly local people all of them coming together. Our Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri N. Biren Singh had appreciated the support of the peoples of Tamenglong District in protecting Amur falcons and he had declared for rewards to the Amur falcon protecting villages in his public speeches on 13/3/2021. The successful Amur falcon conservation initiatives has set the stage for many more such activities in Manipur in the near future such as Hornbill Project, Serow Conservation Project, Project Tiger etc.
The Facebook Post of Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change on October 27, 2020 also described the success as “A milestone has been achieved in the conservation efforts of birds, as an Amur falcon named Irang, tagged in Manipur has returned back to the state after completing its migratory route full circle & covering 29,000 km. another Amur named Chiulan has also arrived in the state yesterday”
Yet in another Facebook Post of Hon’ble Union Minister, Environment, Forest & Climate Change Shri Prakash Jabedkar appreciated and highlighted the arrival of the two tagged Amur falcons Chiulon and Irang to Somalia on 11 and 12 November 2020 in their second year migration covering 5700km and 5400 km in five and half days nonstop flight.
Arrival at South Africa in 2020: Chiulon & Irang are regularly giving satellite data during its second year of migration to African Continent after tagging. They were enjoying the warm climate of South Africa; Irang was in Namibia and Chiulon was in Zimbawe & Botswana border as on 24th December 2020.
Return Journey from South Africa in 2021: Chiulon and Irang had left South Africa by around 30/3/2021. They left the African Continent on 22/4/2021 by leaving Somalia. They undertook over Ocean flight to reach Western India and they reached Myanmar on 28/4/2021. They had reached safely their breeding ground in North East China on 8/5/2021; which was incidentally the World Migratory Bird Day 2021. They shall lay their eggs and shall be hatching them within five to six months and they shall again come to Tamenglong and adjoining areas in North East India along with their young ones in October/November this year. Their journey can be joyfully tracked in the website www.satellitetracking.eu. Let us pray for their safety in the breeding ground and let us eagerly wait to welcome them in their third years of migration in coming winter of 2021.
(This article is intended for creating awareness and in academic interest; the ideas and views expressed are writer’s own and not necessarily that of the Forest Department, Government of Manipur. The writer would like to thank Shri K. Angami PCCF & HoFF, Shri A. K. Joshi PCCF (Wildlife) cum Chief Wildlife Warden, Dr. R. Suresh Kumar Scientist E, WII, Dehradun for kind encouragement & guidance)