Flying Free: Save the Amur Falcon

Amur falcons migrate in large numbers from Mongolia to Southern Africa for the winter. This is the longest regular over water migration recorded for any bird of prey. During this long journey, they stop over in parts of northeast India and Bangladesh to rest during the months of October in November. The congregation of the Amur falcons at the Doyang Reservoir in Wokha, Nagaland is believed to be the single largest congregation of these migrants recorded in India.  Another roosting site for these birds is in Umrangso in the Dima Hasao District in Assam.

While there were occasional reports of the falcons being hunted in the Dima Hasao District as a whole, there were reports of more than a 100 birds being hunted in a day, in Umrangso.  Later it was revealed that the number of birds being killed could run into as many as a thousand birds a day.

The Blue Hills Society, an NGO alerted the Wildlife Trust of India to this fact and it was decided to take action to stop this killing.However, stopping this killing would not have been possible without the support of the entire community. 

This change was not an easy one to bring about. Meetings were held at various levels to understand how to best bring about this change, from meetings with local leaders to various governmental departments. Efforts were made to reach out to different communities. Support was garnered further from the village heads, Self Help Groups, village development committees, churches and school groups. The teams formed patrolling squads after interacting with the local youth. A resolution was also passed under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code of 1973 to ban the hunting of these amazing birds.

Regular patrolling by the volunteers along with Forest Department officials resulted in the killing being minimized drastically from a high scale to almost zero mortality scenarios. The people In Dima Hasao now recognise the Amur falcon as the Pride of Umrangso.

It was to celebrate this achievement and to reinforce the ban on the killing of Amur falcons that WTI along with the Blue Hills Society coordinated the Amur Falcon Festival in Dima Hasao. 

The event was a great success with a variety of programs conducted over a couple of days. Shri Davender Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Govt Of Assam was the cheif guest of the event. Girls from Dimasa welcomed the guests with a traditional dance followed by an ethic dance from Karbi. The dances were followed by inagural speeches. A discussion was also held among the invited guests with emphasis on the importance of conserving Amur Falcons and how they can bring in revenue through eco tourism. 

Food stalls also displayed the traditional food of the region adding to the festivities. The Indian Army was also an active participant in the celebrations with their pipers giving a magnificent 45 minute display. 

The participants of the Fest were invited to lunch close to the Amur Falcon roosting site followed by a bird watching session. The children present also had an informative and interactive session with experts from the Wildlife Trust of India and the Blue Hills Society.

Various activties with the theme of Amur Falcon Conservation were also held with school children participating in a talent show and a drawing competition. Bike rallies and a concert with local bands were also a part of the two day celebration. 

Local people who are actively involved in the conservation of Amur Falcons were also felicitated during the festivities. One of the most popular acts through it all, however, was a speech by a little Karbi girl that told the story of how Baby Amur Falcon did not want to leave Umrangso as it was the most beautiful place in the world with the warmest welcome. He reluctantly agreed to fly to South Africa after Mamma and Papa Amur Falcon promised that they would visit again next year.

The people of Umrangso are already preparing to welcome their winged vistors again next year.