Meet Chiuluan 2, an Amur Falcon bird that traveled 3,800 km to reach India in just 93 hours

A male Amur falcon, tagged as part of a satellite study in Manipur, has completed a non-stop journey of 3,800 km from Botswana to India in just 93 hours. Known as Chiuluan 2, the bird was tracked by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) the falcon has returned to Manipur on Wednesday.

Chiuluan 2 is named after Chiuluan village in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, where it was tagged and later released in November 2024. The study, a collaboration between the Manipur Forest Department, WII, and local communities, was aimed to track the falcon’s migration patterns.

Chiuluan 2 began his return from Botswana in early April this year, stopping in Somalia before embarking on a direct 93-hour flight over the Arabian Sea. He entered India flying at an average speed of 41 kilometres per hour, with peaks of around 47 kilometres per hour. The route aligns with the expected spring migration to breeding grounds in northeastern Asia.

This satellite-tagging initiative started in 2013 in response to widespread hunting of Amur falcons in areas of Manipur and Nagaland.

Manipur and Nagaland serve as crucial stopovers for thousands of Amur falcons each year. The birds feed and rest here before continuing towards Asia. Chiuluan 2 will remain in India briefly before heading to breeding sites in Russia, Mongolia, and also northern China.

Amur falcons cover a distance of over 20,000 km annually across four continents. Protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act, they breed in northeast Asia and winter in southern Africa, making pit stops in Somalia and northeast India.