Manipur To Conduct First-Ever Census of Amur Falcons In The State

The Manipur government will be conducting the census of Amur falcons in the state's Tamenglong district for the first time to safeguard and protect the birds.

Guwahati: The Manipur forest department has decided to carry out the first-ever head count of Amur falcons in the state’s Tamenglong district where a maximum number of the migratory birds roost. The exercise is a part of the state forest department’s series of programmes aimed at safeguarding and protecting the birds belonging to the falcon family.

A flock of around 30 Amur falcons, locally known as “Akhuaipuina,” has already arrived in the district. The longest-flying migratory bird usually arrives in the northeastern states of Manipur and Nagaland in mid-October every year after covering a distance of around 20,000 kilometres from their breeding grounds in Northern China and South Eastern Siberia, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Manipur, said in a press release on Friday.

After roosting for over a month, the small raptors leave the region and fly towards the Southern and Eastern parts of Africa and flock for a short time before flying back towards their breeding grounds, the DIPR release said.

“We have engaged a prominent Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) from the state for conducting the Amur falcon census on their roosting sites. They will carry out the head count when the birds completely arrive in Tamenglong. Generally, the number of birds that flock in the district varies from one roosting site to another,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Tamenglong, Amandeep said.

“At some point of time, over 5,000 Amur falcons roost, while more than 50,000 were even seen flocking at other roosting sites in the past. Once the census is completed, we would maintain data on the birds,” the DFO added.

Apart from the district forest department, the Rainforest Club Tamenglong (RCT), a local animal lovers’ unit, are all set to organise a series of programmes including spreading awareness among the villagers on protecting and showing their love to the winged-guests during their visit to the state, the release added. 

The release further said that a week after the Tamenglong district administration banned the hunting, catching, killing and selling of the birds, and use of airguns during the raptors’ roosting period, the state’s Noney district administration also issued similar orders on Friday.