Tripura issues warning against hunting of Amur Falcons.

As the winter has onset, migratory birds including the Amur falcons are being observed around the lakes and water bodies in massive numbers. But, despite several restrictions, many birds are poached yearly. In that line, the State of Tripura has issued warning against the hunting of Amur Falcons.

Highlights

• The Forest division has issued an order so as to tell the general public that the migratory birds along with the Amur falcons are lined below the Wildlife Protection Act,1972.
• The order was issued in the light of hunting of the number of Amur falcons in the Mon district.
• Nagaland had also notified the order against the wasting of the birds.
• It stated hunting, trapping, killing and promoting of the hen might result in three years of imprisonment and a high-quality of ?25,000.

Amur falcons

Amur falcons are the longest travelling raptors of the World. They start travelling as the winters onset. The raptors breed in southeastern Siberia and northern China and fly 1000’s of miles to India and then over the Indian Ocean to southern Africa before making their return journey to Mongolia and Siberia. In total, the birds travel a distance of 22,000-kilometres which is one of the longest amongst all avian species. The birds have got their name from the Amur River. The Amur River forms the border between Russia and China.

Sites in India

These migratory birds stopover the Doyang Lake in Nagaland during their annual migration. Thus, Nagaland is also called as the Falcon Capital of the World.

IUCN status

The birds have been given the “least concern” status under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The species has been protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the Convention on Migratory Species.