Two satellite-tagged Amur falcons have returned to Manipur’s Tamenglong district after migrating across 23 countries, completing their round-trip journey
IMPHAL — Two satellite-tagged Amur falcons, Apapang and Alang, have returned to their roosting site in Tamenglong district of Manipur after travelling through 23 countries on their annual migratory journey across Africa and Asia.
The male and female falcons arrived on October 22, completing their round-trip journey since being fitted with satellite transmitters by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, in November 2025.
The Tamenglong forest division said their return highlighted the importance of scientific research, satellite tracking, sustained monitoring and community participation in wildlife conservation.
Dr Suresh Kumar of WII, who has been monitoring the birds’ migratory routes, confirmed their arrival in Tamenglong.
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav also announced their return on X on Friday, describing the birds as “global citizens” for travelling across 23 countries during their migration.
The three falcons — Apapang, Ahu and Alang — were fitted with satellite transmitters at Chiuluan village in Tamenglong on November 11, 2025. They were named after a local roosting site and the Barak and Irang rivers.
However, contact with Ahu, a female falcon, was lost during its migration in Somalia.
Yadav said Apapang and Alang were expected to spend two to three weeks in Tamenglong before continuing their journey. During the stopover, the birds feed on termites to build up fat reserves for the next leg of their migration, which includes a nearly 6,000-km journey towards Somalia, including a 3,000-km crossing of the Arabian Sea.
The minister had earlier described the satellite-tagging programme as one of India’s successful community-led conservation efforts.
The tagging programme was undertaken by the Tamenglong forest division in collaboration with WII. The initiative resumed in November 2018, and more than a dozen Amur falcons have since been fitted with radio transmitters in the district.