Two satellite-tagged Amur falcons, Apapang and Alang, have returned to Manipur after travelling across 23 countries during their nearly year-long migration, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on Friday.
The two birds arrived in Manipur on Thursday, 11 days after leaving their breeding grounds in northeastern China, completing their tracked round-trip journey since being tagged by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in November 2025.
Describing the migratory birds as “global citizens”, Yadav said their journey across Asia and Africa highlighted the remarkable migratory capabilities of the species.
The falcons are expected to spend two to three weeks at selected stopover sites in the mountainous areas of Tamenglong district, where local communities have traditionally welcomed and protected the migratory visitors.
During their stay, the birds will feed on termites emerging around their stopover sites to accumulate fat reserves essential for the next phase of their migration.
The next leg will involve an extraordinary nonstop flight of nearly 6,000 kilometres from Manipur to Somalia over six days, including a crossing of approximately 3,000 kilometres over the Arabian Sea.
In his announcement, Yadav noted that the return of Apapang and Alang marked the successful completion of their tracked migration cycle, offering valuable insights into the long-distance movements of Amur falcons across international boundaries.
The seasonal arrival of Amur falcons is an important natural event in Manipur, particularly in Tamenglong, where community participation has played a significant role in protecting the migratory birds. Their long-distance journeys also underline the importance of coordinated conservation efforts across the countries they traverse.