Guwahati: With the successful completion of the first-ever survey carried out for the estimated population of the longest-flying migratory birds, Amur falcons, at Chiuluan village in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, the approximate number of the raptors currently roosting there is 1,41,274.
Using drones, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and telephoto cameras, 11 members of the Wildlife Explorers Manipur (WEM), a key animal lovers’ group of the state carried out the census on Friday (November 10) at Chiuluan village, one of the six roosting sites of the migratory birds in the district.
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The other five roosting sites of the migratory birds are Bhalok, Matung, Puching, Punglam and Duigailong villages of the district. Volunteers of the Rainforest Club Tamenglong (RCT) and the staff of the Tamenglong divisional forest office supported the census exercise.
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WEM President Khoyumthem Brajesh Kumar, who announced the census report on the birds on the occasion of the eighth Amur Falcon festival at Tamenglong district headquarters on Saturday, said, “The Amur falcons’ roosting site is located in bamboo forest near the banks of Barak river about 160 kilometres from state capital Imphal.”
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“The aim and objective of carrying out the survey for the population of Amur falcons is to estimate the number of the birds roosting in Chiuluan village as a pilot project so that a complete census of the migratory birds’ population for the district could be taken in the future,” Kumar added.
The Amur falcons, locally known as ‘Akhoipuina’ or ‘Kahoipuina’ in the Rongmei dialect, landed in Manipur, mostly in the Tamenglong district and neighbouring Nagaland in mid-October, from their breeding grounds in South Eastern Siberia and Northern China.
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After roosting for about a month in the state, the raptors will fly towards the Southern and Eastern parts of Africa and flock for a short time before moving towards their breeding grounds.
“Since the task has been successfully conducted this time, we are planning to take up the same exercise at other roosting sites in the district during the visit of the migratory birds next year. We are also planning to tag two Amur falcons next year with the help of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) which will enhance the understanding of their migratory pattern,” Tamenglong Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Amandeep, said,
Tamenglong Deputy Commissioner (DC), Angshim Dangshawa, while addressing the gathering at the Amur falcon festival, underscored the need to step up more awareness programmes to ensure that the people of the district come out in unison to safeguard and conserve the Amur falcons during their visit to the district every year.