Abihotry Bhardwaz
Every year, the sky becomes a living map of survival, car-rying millions of migratory birds across continents, mountains and oceans. Among these remarkable travellers are the Amur falcons, small birds of prey whose extraordinary journeys remind us that nature recognises no political boundaries. The recent return of two satellite-tagged Amur falcons, Apapang and Alang, to Manipur after travelling across 23 countries is not merely a story of migration; it is a testament to endurance, scientific discovery and the possibility of coexistence between humans and wildlife.
According to reports published on October 24, 2026, Apapang and Alang reached their seasonal roosting grounds in Manipur’s Tamenglong district on October 22. Scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had tagged the birds in November 2025 to study their movements across continents. Their return marks the completion of an extraordinary round-trip journey, offering researchers valuable insights into the migratory behaviour of a species that connects distant landscapes across Asia and Africa.
The journey of an Amur falcon is a remarkable feat of natural engineering. These birds breed in parts of eastern Russia and northeastern China before travelling south to their wintering grounds in Africa. During migration, they pass through Northeast India, where locations in Manipur, Nagaland, Assam and other states provide important resting and feeding sites. Their journey includes a challenging flight across the Arabian Sea. According to recent reports, Apapang and Alang are expected to undertake another journey of approximately 6,000 kilometres towards Somalia, including a stretch of nearly 3,000 kilometres over the sea. Such a demanding journey requires extraordinary endurance from birds weighing only a few hundred grams.
However, how many of these remarkable travellers exist today? The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) as a species of Least Concern globally. Its 2021 assessment estimated between 200,000 and 667,000 mature individuals and described the global population trend as stable. Older estimates have suggested a larger total population, illustrating the uncertainty involved in counting a highly mobile species that crosses continents. Least Concern, however, does not mean free from danger. The State of India’s Birds 2025 assessment indicates a concerning current annual trend of approximately 6.35% decline in India, while its long-term Indian population trend remains uncertain because of insufficient data. These figures describe different geographical and assessment contexts; they should not be interpreted as proof that the global population is declining at the same rate. Nevertheless, they remind us why continued monitoring is essential.
The history of the Amur falcon in Northeast India reveals both the cruelty wildlife can experience and the difference collective action can make. In the past, mass hunting threatened the species at important migratory stopovers in Nagaland. Conservation assessments estimate that during the period of intense hunting, trappers captured 120,000–140,000 falcons annually at a major site. Such numbers expose a troubling contradiction: a bird capable of crossing thousands of kilometres could face its greatest danger not in the open sea or wilderness, but at the hands of humans.
Yet, this story did not end with persecution. Conservation initiatives involving local communities, forest authorities and environmental organisations helped transform important areas into safer resting grounds. In Nagaland, community outreach and awareness campaigns contributed to the end of reported hunting in the Doyang area after 2013. Former hunters became protectors, demonstrating that meaningful change is possible when communities are supported in building a relationship with wildlife based on respect rather than exploitation. The return of Apapang and Alang to Manipur offers another opportunity to strengthen this relationship.
In India, the Amur falcon is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as reflected in the State of India’s Birds species assessment. This protection is an important legal safeguard against hunting and other prohibited activities. International conservation frameworks also support the protection of migratory birds, including the Convention on Migratory Species. Nevertheless, laws and international agreements cannot protect a bird at every stage of its journey without cooperation on the ground. Safe habitats, responsible tourism, scientific research, public awareness and community participation must work together. To protect falcons, we must also protect their roosting trees, food insects, and migratory landscapes.
Their story also has a particular significance for Assam and the wider Northeast. Amur falcons are not visitors to Manipur alone. They gather at seasonal roosting sites across the region, sometimes in astonishing numbers. A study published in Indian BIRDS in 2024 documented the species at Umrongso in Assam’s Dima Hasao district during the autumn migration of 2022. Researchers estimated that more than 200,000 falcons were roosting at the site on one day in November. This observation demonstrates the ecological importance of Northeast India’s resting grounds and the opportunities for local research and conservation. It also warns us that the destruction of a single important roosting habitat can have consequences extending far beyond the boundaries of a village or district.
But conservation must not begin and end with a single species simply because its journey is extraordinary or its photographs capture our attention. The Amur falcon deserves protection, but so do the small birds that nest outside our window, the insect that sustains another animal, the snake that crosses a village path, the stray dog searching for food, and every other living being with which we share this planet. Our responsibility towards life should not depend on whether an animal is beautiful, rare, useful to us or capable of becoming a headline.
We often speak of humanity as the most intelligent species, yet intelligence should bring responsibility, not a licence to dominate. If our understanding of progress requires the destruction of forests, the poisoning of ecosystems, the killing of animals for convenience or the displacement of other species from their habitats, then we must question what progress truly means. A forest is not empty land awaiting development. A river is not merely a resource to be consumed. A bird is not an object to be captured simply because it has entered our territory. These are living parts of an interconnected world, and their existence does not require our permission.
Learning to coexist does not mean abandoning human needs. It means recognising that our needs must be balanced with those of other living beings. Farmers can adopt wildlife-friendly practices, communities can protect local habitats, citizens can refuse to participate in animal cruelty, and governments can make ecological responsibility an essential part of development. Schools can teach children to observe and respect wildlife rather than fear or harm it. Communities can celebrate migratory birds without disturbing their roosts. Even small acts, such as providing safe spaces for birds, avoiding unnecessary destruction of nests and reporting illegal hunting, can contribute to a larger culture of compassion.
The return of Apapang and Alang is therefore more than a scientific achievement. It is an invitation to reconsider our relationship with the natural world. Their journey across 23 countries reveals how deeply interconnected our planet is. The survival of a migratory bird depends on the protection of habitats across many borders, just as the health of human communities depends on the ecological systems surrounding them. No country, community or individual can protect nature alone, but every one of us can contribute to its survival.
Perhaps the greatest lesson of the Amur falcons is that belonging does not always mean staying in one place. These birds travel across continents, yet they depend on the places where they can safely rest. They remind us that every living being needs space, nourishment and the freedom to exist without unnecessary fear. If we welcome them back to Manipur, we must ask if we are making the world safer for all.
The sky does not belong to one nation, and the Earth does not belong to humanity alone. We are inhabitants of a shared planet, surrounded by lives that possess their place in its delicate balance. Protecting the Amur falcons is a meaningful beginning, but our responsibility must reach further. We must learn not merely to admire other species but to respect their right to exist.
The true measure of civilisation is not how successfully humanity conquers nature, but how compassionately it learns to live alongside it. The falcons are finding their way across the world. It is time for us to find our way toward coexistence.
(The writer is a researcher at Gauhati University. She can be reached at abihotrybhardwaz72@gmail.com.)