Record-Breaking Journey of Amur Falcon from Somalia to India
Remarkable Migration of Amur Falcon
Radio-tagged Amur Falcon in Manipur (Photo: AT)
Imphal, May 6: A male Amur falcon, named Apapang, has achieved an extraordinary nonstop flight of 4,750 kilometers from Somalia to central India in just 95 hours, successfully crossing the Arabian Sea without any breaks.
Dr. Suresh Kumar from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun, who has been tracking the bird's migratory path, confirmed that Apapang completed its remarkable journey on Monday.
The three satellite-tagged Amur falcons, which include Apapang, Ahu, and Alang—named after a local roosting site and two rivers in Tamenglong district—began their migration from Chiuluan village on November 11, 2025.
Apapang is an adult male, while Ahu and Alang are females.
After flying nonstop for an additional 450 kilometers since Sunday night, Apapang made its first stop near the Sone River, approximately 120 kilometers south of Varanasi, at 9:30 PM on Monday.
Following a brief rest of one hour, Apapang continued its journey, covering another 200 kilometers to reach a hill forest located about 60 kilometers southwest of Gaya, where it paused for the night.
Previously, Apapang had completed a nonstop flight of 6,100 kilometers to Kenya in under a week, also crossing the Arabian Sea during its migratory journey last November.
As of now, both Ahu and Alang remain in Somalia, according to officials.
The radio-tagging initiative for Amur falcons was launched by the Tamenglong Forest Division in November 2018.
These falcons are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and are listed in Schedule I, spending their summers in breeding areas located in southeast Russia and northeast China.