Manipur bans hunting migratory Amur falcons, prepares to greet its winged guests

The district authority also asked the concerned people to deposit their air guns to the village authorities immediately.

These majestic birds (Falco Amurensis), locally known as 'Kahuaipuina', 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.

Tamenglong's District Magistrate L. Angshim Dangshawa in an order said that the migratory bird usually arrives in many parts of Tamenglong district and bordering areas from the first to the second week of October and is likely to roost till the end of November.

"As this period (October-November) is considered crucial in the life cycle of Amur Falcons, I, the District Magistrate, Tamenglong hereby order a ban on all the air guns in the district and that they should be deposited with the respective Village Authorities Office," Dangshawa's order said.

Dangshawa, a senior IAS officer, in his order also asked the 45 village authorities of the district to keep the air guns deposited in their custody until the last flock leave their roosting place or till November 30.

The DM also asked the village authorities to submit their report on the collection of the air guns in the District Magistrate office by September 30.

Earlier, the 'Amur falcon dance festival' was organised by the forest authorities in collaboration with the local clubs to raise awareness of the protection of the birds.

Forest and wildlife experts said that this unique long-distance migratory bird usually arrives in Manipur, Nagaland, Assam and adjoining northeastern states in mid-October from their breeding grounds in South Eastern Siberia and Northern China.

After a few weeks stay in Manipur, Nagaland, Assam and a few other northeastern states, the Amur falcons fly towards Southern and Eastern parts of Africa and roost a short time before moving towards their breeding grounds.

With the district administration putting a ban on hunting, catching, killing and selling of migratory birds besides prohibiting the use of air guns during the raptors' roosting period, forest officials and animal lovers of the Naga-dominated Tamenglong district in Manipur, are also gearing up to protect the seasonal migratory birds.

Manipur's Tamenglong and nearby Senapati districts share inter-state borders with Nagaland, where also people, wildlife and forest officials every year took measures to protect the Amur falcons.

A Nagaland forest official said that the state 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 falcons are locally known in Nagaland as 'Molulem'.

The Amur falcon has been granted legal protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

The Nagaland official said that hunting these birds or possessing their meat is a serious criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment for up to three years under the provisions of the Act.

Nagas and other tribals, known for their love for meat, had for decades considered these birds as 'god-sent' when they had first arrived in 2012.

Thousands of birds were caught and consumed every year before 2012, but massive efforts involving villagers to protect the migratory birds in Nagaland have resulted in near-zero casualties since 2013.

The conservation of Amur falcons and other migratory birds helped promote tourism in Nagaland as hundreds of tourists assembled along the lakes and water bodies in Wokha and adjoining districts adjacent to Assam.

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