Jan. 28, 2025: The satellite-tagged Amur falcon, named ‘Chiuluan-2,’ has completed its journey through South Africa and is now back in the Kalahari region of Botswana.
According to R. Suresh Kumar, a scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), who is monitoring the bird’s migratory path, ‘Chiuluan-2’ spent nearly 20 days in South Africa, not far from Johannesburg.
The falcon made its first stopover in Somalia after a remarkable non-stop flight across the Arabian Sea, which took five days and 17 hours in late November 2024.
During its migratory journey, Kumar noted that the bird’s movement was likely influenced by factors such as food availability and rainfall, which may be guiding its route, particularly in the Kalahari region.
On November 8, the Manipur Forest Department, in collaboration with local communities, released two Amur falcons named ‘Chiuluan-2’ and ‘Gwangram’ after fitting them with satellite transmitters.
The initiative aimed to track their migratory routes and observe environmental patterns. ‘Chiuluan-2,’ a male falcon, and ‘Gwangram,’ a female, both originate from villages in Tamenglong, which are known as roosting sites for the Amur falcons.
R. Suresh Kumar expressed his anticipation that the bird will continue to navigate its migratory route, potentially adjusting its path based on changing environmental conditions.
