Satellite-tagged Amur falcons returning from Africa, set to cross India
The tracking project has helped provide insights into Amur falcons, which will enable their management and conservation. Photo: Special Arrangement
Two of the three Amur falcons, which were satellite-tagged in Manipur’s Tamenglong district in November 2025, are returning to their breeding grounds in the Far East through India, after migrating to the warmer southern Africa region during the winter.
In a post on X on Saturday, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said, “Having completed more than four months in their non-breeding grounds in southern Africa, two of these Amur Falcons are on their spring migration, returning to their breeding region in Far-East Asia via India.”
Mr. Yadav said during their journey from Africa’s Somalia to northeast India, they undertake a non-stop flight of nearly 6,000 km in six days.
A tagged young female Amur falcon named ‘Alang’ is currently headed for India’s west coast and is crossing the Arabian Sea, having started from Somalia on Friday morning, according to the Minister. With favourable tailwind, the sea-crossing will take three days of non-stop flight, he said.
With funding from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the satellite tracking project has been a successful community-led conservation effort in India, Mr. Yadav added. The project has helped provide insights into Amur falcons, which will enable their management and conservation.
Published – May 16, 2026 11:00 pm IST
