Apapang, Alang and Ahu may weigh just 150 grams each, but they have some serious frequent-flyer miles to clock. They are Amur Falcons.

In November 2025, these three Amur falcons were fitted with satellite tags by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Tamenglong district, Manipur, to track their epic journey from Northeast India to Africa.

Every November, thousands of these tiny birds of prey take off from roosting sites in Manipur and Nagaland, cross the Indian mainland and head over the Arabian Sea. Their itinerary? Thousands of kilometres, days over open water and no airport lounges in sight.

Their journey revealed how a bird barely heavier than a smartphone can cross thousands of kilometres of open sea. It also highlighted why Northeast India is an important stopover along their migratory route.

A journey tracked across continents

On 11 November 2025, WII scientists fitted Apapang, an adult male, Alang, a young female, and Ahu, an adult female, with lightweight satellite transmitters weighing approximately 3.5–4 grams. The birds took flight the following day.

The tracking updates were shared by Supriya Sahu, Tamil Nadu's Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests, on social media.

Apapang covered approximately 6,100 kilometres in six days and eight hours. Alang travelled around 5,600 kilometres in six days and 14 hours, while Ahu covered approximately 5,100 kilometres in five days before reaching the Horn of Africa.

Their routes differed, but all three completed remarkable journeys across the Indian mainland and the Arabian Sea. Subsequent tracking updates placed Apapang in Tanzania, Alang in Kenya and Ahu in northern Somalia.

The birds' journeys provided researchers with valuable information about their movements, flight durations and stopover behaviour. 

Why do they........

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