Tagged Amur Falcons Fly 5,000 Km From Manipur To Africa, Leaving Scientists Amazed
Tagged on November 11 along with a third bird, Ahu, their real-time journey was shared day by day on social media by senior forest officer Supriya Sahu.
Two 150-gram Amur falcons from Manipur, Apapang and Alang, have stunned scientists by completing an epic 5,000–6,000 km journey from India to Africa in under a week, as part of the Manipur Amur Falcon Tracking Project (Phase 2).
Tagged on November 11 along with a third bird, Ahu, their real-time journey which is shared day by day on social media by senior forest officer Supriya Sahu, has turned into a fascinating story of migration and endurance.
On November 11, Apapang (adult male, orange track), Alang (young female, yellow track) and Ahu (adult female, red track) were satellite-tagged at Chiuluan in Manipur’s Tamenglong district under a joint project of the Manipur Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India.
By November 14, Apapang had already embarked on an astonishing non-stop dash, cutting across central India and reaching the edge of the Arabian Sea, poised for the gruelling 3,000 km ocean crossing to Somalia—one of the toughest flights attempted by any raptor.
On November 16, all three tagged falcons were recorded over the Arabian Sea, undertaking their daring oceanic crossing aided by strong easterly tailwinds.
Apapang had flown non-stop for around 76 hours, covering roughly 3,100 km at an average of about 1,000 km per day, pushing the known limits of endurance for a small raptor weighing just 150 grams.
"Woohoo .. both Apapang and Alang have successfully crossed over, while Ahu is just about to reach...three Amurs, one breathtaking migration and a million people watching in awe," Sahu posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter)
Suresh Kumar, from Wildlife Institute of India told Sahu that Amur Falcons are terrestrial birds and cannot land on water. Once they leave the Indian coast, they undertake an uninterrupted flight across the Arabian Sea, a remarkable non-stop journey covering nearly 3000 kms.
By November 17, Apapang had cleared the Arabian Sea and entered Somalia in the Horn of Africa, taking his total distance to about 5,400 km in 5 days and 15 hours.
On November 18, Supriya Sahu reported that both Apapang and Alang had successfully crossed over, with Ahu just about to reach the African coast, prompting an outpouring of awe from birdwatchers following their tracks online.
By November 20, project scientist Suresh Kumar confirmed that Apapang and Alang had already crossed into Kenya, likely heading towards a stopover in Tsavo National Park, while Ahu remained near the northern tip of Somalia.
The updated tracking data showed the 'hero of the season' Apapang covering about 6,100 km in 6 days 8 hours in a near-unbroken arc, Alang about 5,600 km in 6 days 14 hours with short halts in Telangana and Maharashtra, and Ahu around 5,100 km after a brief pause in Bangladesh before joining the transoceanic push.
"Together, they embody the raw beauty of migration, precision, instinct, wind, stamina, and courage. What a season. What a journey," concluded Suresh Kumar.
