Unstoppable Amur Falcon ‘Chiuluan 2’ Reaches India After 3,800-km Nonstop Flight, Heads to Northeast

In an extraordinary demonstration of endurance and instinct, Chiuluan 2, a satellite-tagged Amur Falcon named after a village in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, touched down in India today after an uninterrupted 3,800-kilometre flight from Somalia—completed in just 93 hours.

This remarkable feat marks the raptor’s return leg of its annual migratory route and was shared by Dr. Suresh Kumar of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

Tagged as part of a collaborative study by the Manipur Forest Department, WII, and local communities, Chiuluan 2’s journey offers rare insight into one of nature’s greatest endurance tests.

After wintering in Botswana, the falcon took off, crossed the vast Arabian Sea without pause, and reached Indian shores for a brief stopover before continuing to its breeding grounds in Siberia.

Despite having no modern navigational aids, Chiuluan 2 navigates using the sun, stars, wind patterns, and natural instinct—methods still not fully understood by science. The bird’s 20,000-km round-trip migration rivals any aircraft in precision and consistency, following ancient flyways shaped by millennia of evolution.

“Chiuluan 2 offers a rare glimpse into the incredible lives of these long-distance warriors,” Dr. Suresh said. “Its flight path, captured via satellite, showcases how deeply embedded migratory memory is in these birds.”

Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis) undertake one of the longest known over-ocean migratory flights among raptors. Breeding in the forests of Southeastern Russia and Northern China, these birds make a spectacular journey every year to winter in Southern Africa.

Their route passes through Nagaland and Manipur, where the birds make crucial stopovers. These sites were once infamous for large-scale hunting of Amur Falcons. However, thanks to community-led conservation efforts supported by the government and NGOs, villages such as Chiuluan in Manipur have become protectors of these aerial nomads. The naming of the falcons after these villages is both a tribute and a symbol of hope.

The tagged birds, including Chiuluan 2, have become ambassadors for conservation, education, and global connectivity, emphasizing the role of Northeast India as a vital pit stop in one of nature’s grandest journeys.

Also Read: Umrangso's 10th Falcon Festival: A Major Push for Amur Falcon Conservation