Imphal; May 2026: Apapang, a male Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) radio-tagged along with two other falcons in Manipur, has made a record nonstop flight of 4,750 km from Somalia to reach Central India in 95 hours, crossing the Arabian Sea without any halt.
Dr Suresh Kumar of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, who has been monitoring the migratory route, said that Apapang ended its nonstop flight on Monday (04th May 2026). The three satellite tagged Amur falcons, named ‘Apapang’, ‘Ahu’ and ‘Alang’ after a roosting site and two rivers in Tamenglong district, started their migratory journey from Chiuluan village on November 11, 2025, around 16:00 hours. The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kh Hitler Singh of Tamenglong Forest Division had then confirmed that the birds were released from Chiuluan village accompanied by a prayer for their safety led by village volunteer leader Dingsung Gangmei, in the presence of all team members.
Apapang is an adult male falcon, while Alu and Alang are females. Since Sunday (03rd May 2026) night, Apapang continued its nonstop flight for another 450 km, flying over the Vindhyas and making its first stop since departure from Somalia at 21:30 hours on Monday (04th May) near the Sone river, about 120 km south of Varanasi, the WII scientist said.
After an hour of rest, Apapang resumed its journey, covering another 200 km to arrive at a hill forest, about 60 km south-west of Gaya, to halt for the night, he added. Apapang had already made a nonstop flight of 6,100 km to Kenya in just under a week, crossing the Arabian Sea in its onward migratory journey in November last year.
Both Ahu and Alang are still in Somalia, officials stated. The radio-tagging programme of Amur falcons was taken up by the Tamenglong Forest Division for the first time in November 2018. The Amur falcons which are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and included under Schedule I, spend their summers on breeding grounds in south-east Russia and northeast China.
Highlighting the importance of tagging, WII Scientist Dr Suresh Kumar, who has radio-tagged 12 Amur falcons in the state to date, stated that the programme helps continue conservation efforts while enhancing understanding of the species. This is the first radio-tagging programme for Amur falcons in Manipur’s Tamenglong district.
Previously, in November 2018, 02 birds, 01 female from Tamenglong and 01 male from Manipur, had been tagged. Amur falcons, protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and listed under Schedule I, breed in south-east Russia and north-east China during summer. They migrate to South Africa for winter, returning in April-May via Afghanistan and East Asia, covering around 20,000 km annually.
During migration, they stop in Northeast India, where large numbers have been killed in recent years, and Somalia. Locally known as Akhuaipuina (Taomuanpui), these pigeon-sized raptors arrive in large numbers in Nagaland and Manipur in October, before departing in November with sufficient food reserves for their non-stop flight to Africa.
This year in 2026, the District Magistrates of Tamenglong and Noney districts imposed a ban on air guns, instructing residents to deposit any in their possession with local authorities by the end of November.
Team Maverick.
