Amur falcons in Nagaland

The migratory birds from Siberia spotted at Pangti, Wokha and Yaongyimchen, Longleng

The winged guests from Siberia are here once again keeping their rendezvous with Nagaland- and with all punctuality. Coincidentally, this year’s first batch of Amur falcons (Falco amurensis), en route to Africa, made their stopover at Pangti area, near Doyang in Wokha district on October 7, 2016, the same date of their arrival in 2015.

Pangti villagers reported the sighting of around 50-60 Amur falcons arriving in the wee hours of Friday morning. By Saturday, the migratory birds aggregated in their roosting areas at Pangti had increased to nearly a thousand or more, Zangthungo Shitri, president of Amur Falcon Roosting Area Union told The Morung Express on Saturday evening.

According to Zangthungo, in 2015, the Amur falcons had arrived Pangti on the same date-October 7.

“This is the beginning to mark the arrival of the million Amur falcons to roost here in Nagaland. Day by day, their numbers will increase. From the last week of October to second week of November is the best time for bird watching,” Zangthungo informed.

The migratory birds have also been sighted in Yaongyimchen village area under Longleng district. According to Y Nuklu Phom, Executive Secretary, Phom Baptist Church Association, several thousand of Amur falcon have arrived at the Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Conservation Area since two days back.

The villagers of Yaongyimchen, Alayong and Sanglu initiated this biodiversity conservation area in 2010 and the Amur Falcon has been reportedly roosting in this conservation area and nearby areas.

Yaongyimchen community members safeguarding the Amur falcons during their stay also noticed a strange phenomenon. Nuklu Phom said since the last three years some of the migratory birds have been staying back at the Community Biodiversity Conservation Area instead of continuing their journey to South Africa.

“Groups of these migratory birds were even spotted in the month of January, February, March this year around the biodiversity conservation area,” Nuklu Phom informed.

Besides, the area was also a witness of a rare “snow white Amur falcon” which was spotted by Dr R Suresh, a scientist from Department of Endangered Species Management, Wildlife Institute of India, and his team along with the community members of Yaongyimchen last year.

Over a million of Amur falcons come to Nagaland from Siberia en route to their final destination to Somalia, Kenya and South Africa. These migratory birds have one of the longest migration routes of all birds, doing up to 22,000 km in a year.

The Amur falcons are also known to roost in Niuland area in Dimapur and at Intangki National Park in Peren district. The first flock of the migratory birds was sighted at the national park in 2015.

Once infamous for the indiscriminate and widespread hunting of the Amur falcons, Nagaland, since 2013, has become synonymous with conservation of the migratory birds. With the gradual increase of community reserved forest areas, ornithologists observed that the roosting sites of the Amur falcons are increasing in the State.

Published at Murong Express on October 9, 2016