Imphal, Nov 8 : Two Amur falcons have been tagged with satellite transmitters by a senior Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientist in western Manipur's Tamenglong district on Friday to analyse the migratory routes of the raptors.

Forest officials said that two Amur falcons, tagged with satellite transmitters, were given the names 'Chiuluan-2' and 'Guangram' with the approval of Manipur's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, Anurag Bajpai.

"Chiuluan-2 and Guangram are names of two important roosting villages of Amur falcon in Tamenglong district, bordering Assam and Nagaland," a senior forest official told IANS.

He said that 11 Amur falcons, including two tagged with satellite transmitters, were released on Friday at Chiuluan village after these migratory birds were captured on Thursday from a roosting site by a team of Tamenglong Forest Division and local volunteers under the guidance of Dehradun-based WII scientist, Dr Suresh Kumar.

These tagged Amur falcons were released by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Tamenglong Kh. Hitler Singh in the presence of Suresh Kumar, Tamenglong RFO Joel Gangmei, the Chairman and village authority members of Chiuluan village, Rainforest Club Tamenglong members and staff of the Tamenglong Forest Division.

Besides the two satellite transmitters tagged falcons, two other falcons named Riangsuanei and Laisana, bearing rings with pfa.manipur@gmail.com imprinted on them were also released.

All the 11 Amur Falcon were also ringed with BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) rings, numbering from C58352 to C58362.

This study programme was undertaken under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

These majestic birds (Falco Amurensis), known as 'Akhuaipuina' (or 'Kahuaipuina') in Manipur and 'Molulem' in neighbouring Nagaland, embark on an incredible long-distance journey, travelling up to 22,000 km in a single year, all the way from eastern Asia to South Africa, and back during early autumn.

The long-distance migratory birds, a little smaller than the size of a pigeon, belonging to the falcon family, as in previous years, have now landed in large numbers in the forest-rich Tamenglong district.

To protect and provide support to the migratory birds, Manipur's Noney and Tamenglong district authorities last month imposed a total ban on hunting, catching, killing, and selling of the seasonal winged guests by anyone in the district and nearby surrounding areas. Both districts share borders with Assam and Nagaland, which also serves as a crucial brief stopover for these birds before their subsequent journey.

Forest officials said that a female falcon, which was tagged with a satellite transmitter in Tamenglong district in 2018, had landed in Somalia after flying continuously for five days and eight hours and covering 5,700 km.

According to wildlife experts, Amur falcons usually arrive in Manipur, mostly in Tamenglong, about 145 km from Imphal, and parts of Nagaland and other northeastern states during the first and second week of October from their breeding grounds in northern China and southeastern Siberia.

After roosting for a little more than a month, they leave the state and fly towards the southern and eastern parts of Africa and again roost there a short time before flying towards their breeding grounds.

DFO Hitler Singh said that to spread awareness among the people to protect the migratory birds, the Forest Department, supported by local clubs and animal lovers' groups, as in previous years, observed the "Amur Falcon Festival" in the first and second week of November.

A forest official in Kohima said that the state also serves as a crucial stopover for these birds -- which at times number up to 100,000 -- for rest and refuelling for a duration of three to four weeks during winter.

"The migratory birds' presence in huge numbers holds immense ecological importance, as they naturally regulate pest populations and participate in vital pollination activities," the official said, adding that the dedicated efforts of all concerned have significantly contributed to providing a secure passage to these avian species over the years.

The Amur falcon has been granted legal protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. Harming, hunting these birds or possessing their meat is a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment for up to three years under the provisions of the Act, Nagaland officials pointed out.

Traditionally, Nagas and other tribals in the northeastern region, known for their love for meat, had for decades considered these birds as 'god-sent' when they were first noticed in 2012. Before 2012, thousands of birds were caught and consumed indiscriminately every year. However, massive efforts involving villagers and the village chiefs to protect the migratory birds in Nagaland have resulted in near-zero casualties since 2013. Both forest and tourism officials said that the conservation of Amur falcons and other migratory birds helped promote tourism in Nagaland as hundreds of tourists assembled during October-November along the lakes and water bodies in Wokha and adjoining districts adjacent to Assam.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujitchakrabortyne@gmail.com)

/IANS