Amur Falcons return to Manipur after traveling through 23 countries

Two satellite-tagged Amur Falcons, a male named Apapang and a female named Alang, have returned to their roosting site in the Tamenglong district of Manipur, India. Their arrival follows a migratory journey spanning 23 countries across Asia and Africa.

The birds were fitted with satellite transmitters by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in November 2025 to study and conserve their migratory routes. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav confirmed that the falcons began their journey from their breeding grounds in northeastern China 11 days prior to their arrival in Manipur.

While Apapang and Alang successfully returned, contact was lost with a third tagged falcon, Ahu, during its journey in Somalia. The returning falcons are expected to stay in the mountainous areas of Tamenglong for two to three weeks to feed on termites and build energy reserves before continuing their flight toward Somalia, which involves a 6,000-kilometer journey including a 3,000-kilometer non-stop flight over the Arabian Sea.