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Description:
At the onset of winter, millions of birds from northern latitudes as far away as the Arctic representing the Central Asian Flyway start to arrive in the tropical climes of the Indian subcontinent. Migrating several thousand kilometers, many of these birds, stop en route at select sites to rest or refuel or wait for the right weather conditions, especially before crossing formidable barriers like the high Himalayan mountain range. There are exceptions to this, and one such is the Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis), a small bird of prey weighing an average of 180 grams.
As a transcontinental, transequatorial migrant, Amur Falcon arrives in the Indian region from their breeding grounds in Far East Asia before continuing onto their nonbreeding destination on the African continent. During their autumn passage, the falcons stopover in parts of Northeast India. En route to and from India and Africa, they undertake a non-stop flight of nearly 6000 km, which includes crossing the Arabian Sea, the longest overwater flight of any bird of prey. Why undertake such long non-stop flights over a seemingly hostile environment? Further, why do they only stop in parts of Northeast India on their autumn passage but nowhere else in India, and why is there no evidence of their return passage through India? A series of satellite tracking efforts of the Amur Falcon from Northeast India has solved part of this mystery, with monsoons and termites playing a part.
GUEST:
Suresh Kumar, Senior Scientist in the Department Of Endangered Species Management At The Wildlife Institute Of India.
The Cornell Lab Of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.
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