Tagged Amur Falcons from Manipur reported safe in Africa

Three Amur falcons tagged and released from Manipur in November last year have successfully completed their transcontinental migration and are currently wintering in different parts of Africa, according to the latest update from the Wildlife Institute of India.
The birds—named Ahu, Alang and Apapang—were fitted with satellite transmitters and released on November 8, 2025 from the Chiuluan roosting site in Tamenglong district by a joint team of scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India, officials of the Manipur Forest Department’s Tamenglong Forest Division and volunteers of Chiuluan village.
After their release, the tagged Amur falcons reportedly reached Africa within a record span of about nine to ten days. Since then, they have been undertaking their wintering migration across different African countries.
Dr. R. Suresh Kumar of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, in his latest report, confirmed that all three birds are active and in good condition. While there were earlier apprehensions that Ahu might be facing difficulties, tracking data now indicate that the bird is making local movements within Somalia.
As per the current satellite data, Ahu remains in Somalia, Apapang is in Zimbabwe and Alang is in Botswana. During the previous wintering cycle of another tagged bird, Chiuluan 2, northward migration towards its breeding grounds had commenced on April 14, 2025.
The ongoing monitoring of the tagged falcons continues to provide crucial scientific insights into the long-distance migration patterns of the species.