Imphal: Apapang, Alang and Ahu have begun the return leg of their epic journey from northeastern India to southern Africa and back.
The three tiny Amur Falcons are being tracked by Indian scientists via satellite.
Weighing just about 150 grams each, these birds are currently moving northwards from the savannas of Botswana and Zimbabwe towards the Somali coast. From there, they face their most perilous challenge: a non-stop flight of roughly 3,000 kilometres across the Arabian Sea, where they cannot stop to rest or feed, as reported by NDTV.
The birds are being keenly followed since November 2025 by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), as part of the Manipur Amur Falcon Tracking Project. The three falcons were fitted with lightweight satellite tags in Tamenglong district, Manipur, and their progress has been closely watched ever since.
The latest update about them, including a map showing their positions as of early April 2026, was shared by Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests in Tamil Nadu. The three are currently waiting for favourable tailwinds before attempting the sea crossing.
In a journey that has been nothing short of remarkable, the falcons flew nearly 5,000 kilometres from Manipur to Somalia in just five days in November. They covered up to 1,000 kilometres per day. In December, they completed a further 6,000-kilometre flight to destinations including Zimbabwe and Kenya.
While Apapang is an adult male, Alang is a young female and Ahu an adult female.
According to researchers, Amur Falcons breed in north-east Asia during summer and migrate each year to southern Africa for the winter months. Large flocks traditionally stop to rest and feed in the hills of Nagaland and Manipur in northeastern India during autumn. The species once faced serious decline due to hunting, but conservation efforts led by local communities, the government and scientists have helped reverse that trend.
By tracking the birds’ routes, researchers hope to improve their understanding of long-distance bird migration and help protect key resting sites along the way.
