<p>Why do the Amur falcons, one of the 69 raptor species observed in the country, stop over every autumn only in Northeast India during their "most arduous" 22,000-km journey from East Asia (China) to Southern Africa?</p>.<p>Ending long speculation, a study by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WWI) said that almost the entire Amur falcon population converges on parts of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya between October and mid-November to "refuel" and build up fat reserves by eating the swarm of termites in the region following monsoon rains.</p>.<p>The study said the halt was primarily to prepare for the birds' non-stop flight to non-breeding grounds. It indicated that during the stopover, Amur falcons extensively forage in the region, building up their fat reserves.</p>.<p>"This finding further emphasises the importance of resource-abundant stopover sites in Northeast India supporting hundreds of thousands of falcons. During the stopover, they prey almost entirely on invertebrates which is similar with their diet in their non-breeding grounds in Southern Africa," said the study.</p>.<p>Long-distance migratory birds like the Amur falcons spend an exceptional amount of energy during their journey every year.</p>.<p>The study was carried out between 2016 and 2020 mainly in Nagaland’s Wokha and Longleng districts as part of a conservation project. The birds also stop over in some places in Tamenglong district of neighbouring Manipur and Dima Hasao in Assam.</p>.<p>The project — which involved satellite tagging of eight falcons — was taken up after large-scale hunting of the birds (1.20 lakh to 1.40 lakh) by tribal villagers in Nagaland invited global condemnation in 2012.</p>.<p>The WWI study said that in Northeast India, the diet of the birds comprised five major insect orders — Isoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera and Hemiptera.</p>.<p>"Local hunters in Nagaland reported the falcon meat to be lean at the time of their arrival in early October and preferred to hunt them at the time of their departure in mid-November when they are high on fat," the study said.</p>.<p>R Suresh Kumar, Alex Jacob, Amarjeet Kaur and Deven Mehta were the main researchers of the study, which identified at least 20 stopover sites in the Northeast, 15 of those in Nagaland.</p>.<p>Interestingly, on their return journey in the spring, the birds do not halt in the region as termites are not found during the season.</p>
<p>Why do the Amur falcons, one of the 69 raptor species observed in the country, stop over every autumn only in Northeast India during their "most arduous" 22,000-km journey from East Asia (China) to Southern Africa?</p>.<p>Ending long speculation, a study by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WWI) said that almost the entire Amur falcon population converges on parts of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya between October and mid-November to "refuel" and build up fat reserves by eating the swarm of termites in the region following monsoon rains.</p>.<p>The study said the halt was primarily to prepare for the birds' non-stop flight to non-breeding grounds. It indicated that during the stopover, Amur falcons extensively forage in the region, building up their fat reserves.</p>.<p>"This finding further emphasises the importance of resource-abundant stopover sites in Northeast India supporting hundreds of thousands of falcons. During the stopover, they prey almost entirely on invertebrates which is similar with their diet in their non-breeding grounds in Southern Africa," said the study.</p>.<p>Long-distance migratory birds like the Amur falcons spend an exceptional amount of energy during their journey every year.</p>.<p>The study was carried out between 2016 and 2020 mainly in Nagaland’s Wokha and Longleng districts as part of a conservation project. The birds also stop over in some places in Tamenglong district of neighbouring Manipur and Dima Hasao in Assam.</p>.<p>The project — which involved satellite tagging of eight falcons — was taken up after large-scale hunting of the birds (1.20 lakh to 1.40 lakh) by tribal villagers in Nagaland invited global condemnation in 2012.</p>.<p>The WWI study said that in Northeast India, the diet of the birds comprised five major insect orders — Isoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera and Hemiptera.</p>.<p>"Local hunters in Nagaland reported the falcon meat to be lean at the time of their arrival in early October and preferred to hunt them at the time of their departure in mid-November when they are high on fat," the study said.</p>.<p>R Suresh Kumar, Alex Jacob, Amarjeet Kaur and Deven Mehta were the main researchers of the study, which identified at least 20 stopover sites in the Northeast, 15 of those in Nagaland.</p>.<p>Interestingly, on their return journey in the spring, the birds do not halt in the region as termites are not found during the season.</p>
