19 November,2025 02:05 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Amur falcons migrate from eastern Asia to southern Africa. Pic/Manipur forest department and Wildlife Institute of India
In a new milestone for the satellite-tracked migration of Amur falcons, three birds - Apapang, Ahu and Alang - were satellite-tagged in Manipur last week under Phase 2 of the Manipur Amur Falcon Tracking Project by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
All three have flown over Maharashtra and are now making their non-stop Arabian Sea crossing en route to southern Africa.
The trio - Apapang (male), Ahu and Alang (females) - was released on 11 November at the Chiuluan roosting site in Tamenglong district. The tagging operation was conducted by the Tamenglong Forest Division in collaboration with the WII.
"We captured ten birds, of which three were fitted with 3.5-gram satellite transmitters. They were released around 4 pm on 11 November," said Kharibam Hitler Singh, DFO Tamenglong.
Officials told mid-day that the male flew past Velas in Ratnagiri, while the females crossed near Virar and Malvan. The birds are expected to make a continuous 76-hour flight covering more than 3,000 km.
The three falcons have flown over Maharashtra and are now making their non-stop Arabian Sea crossing en route to southern Africa. Image/Manipur forest department/Wildlife Institute of India
As of November 18, Apapang had already completed the Arabian Sea crossing and reached Somalia. Ahu and Alang are still over the sea and are expected to arrive there soon. After entering the Horn of Africa, Apapang moved across the Somali desert and is now heading towards the hilly, forested landscapes near the Kenya border. He has covered an additional 1,000 km on land, taking his total journey to about 6,100 km in six days and eight hours.
About Amur falcons
Amur falcons migrate from eastern Asia to southern Africa, stopping for nearly two months at Nagaland's Doyang Dam Reservoir to fuel up for their major open-water crossing over the Indian Ocean. The bird covers over 20,000 kilometres between Africa and northern China, flying over the Arabian Sea.
