Winter is in the offing in Manipur, as thousands of marvelous flying guests of Manipur — the Amur Falcons — start their arrival at their roosting sites in Manipur’s Guangram and Chiuluan villages in Tamenglong district.
Manipur is one of the most important stopovers for this world’s longest-distance migrating raptor on their 20,000 km journey from their breeding grounds in Siberia and China to wintering sites in Southern Africa.
The Zeliangrong Naga community in the state’s Tamenglong district considers them Raruai or Akhuipuina, and they are protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Conservation efforts, including community-based programs and satellite tagging by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), have helped prevent hunting and promote the falcons’ protection in the region.
This year, the Forest Department, Manipur, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, is going to tag three more Amur Falcons with satellite transmitters to continue the ongoing research work. The district administration and local communities have been active in protecting the falcons, issuing bans on hunting and trapping, and working to raise awareness about the birds’ significance.
Pic Courtesy : Oken Sanasam
