GUWAHATI: Two satellite-tagged Amur falcons, Apapang and Alang, have returned to Manipur after travelling across 23 countries, completing their nearly year-long tracking journey, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on Friday, October 23.
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The two birds arrived in Manipur on Thursday, October 22, 11 days after beginning their journey from their breeding grounds in northeastern China.
In a post on X, Yadav said the birds were tagged by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in November 2025. Their return marks the completion of their round-trip journey since they were tagged.
“Having started from their breeding areas in northeastern China 11 days ago, the two Amur Falcons Apapang and Alang arrived in Manipur yesterday,” the minister wrote.
The birds travelled across Asia and Africa, covering 23 countries during their migration.
The Amur falcon, scientific name being falcon amurensis is a small raptor of the falcon family. It breeds in south eastern Siberia and northern china before migrating in large folks across India
Yadav said the two falcons are expected to stay for two to three weeks at selected sites in the mountainous areas of Manipur’s Tamenglong district.
During this stopover, the birds will feed on termites to build up fat reserves needed for the next stage of their migration.
The minister said the falcons are expected to undertake a nearly 6,000-km non-stop flight to Somalia, including a crossing of around 3,000 km over the Arabian Sea. The journey is expected to take about six days.
The satellite-tracking initiative has helped scientists understand the migration routes of Amur falcons and supports efforts to conserve the migratory birds.
