Newsletter / Blog
2012-11-21 Amur Falcon - Falco amurensis - Escaped from hell.
One of the satellite-tracked Amur Falcons, an adult female,
was fitted with a 5g tag in early January 2010 in South Africa. This spring it was
tracked for the third time over the Indian Ocean to its breeding grounds some
470 km west of Peking in China.
It left the area during the first half of October to arrive on 4 November at
Doyang reservoir in eastern India,
now world famous for the slaughter of theses small falcons.
120,000-140,000 birds are estimated to be killed every year
at this largest congregation anywhere in the world.
This bird visited the area last autumn.
We had again anxious days. Would the female survive? Finally on 14 November she
left the area to start crossing the Indian Ocean on 17 November some 400 kms
south of Mumbai (Bombay).
This is further south than in the previous years.
We just received the last fix for 20 November 6.47 h (GMT), when she was
only 240 km from the coast of Somalia
in East Africa. Two years ago she arrived in Somalia on 21
November and on 22nd November in 2011. The crossing of the ocean occured
considerably further south this year.
After almost three years, this falcon must be the world champion as for
long-term satellite tracking of a small bird with a 5 g PTT.
Please visit –
http://www.conservationindia.org/campaigns/amur-massacre
http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/channel/newsitem.asp?c=11&cate=__13205
http://www.birdlife.org/community/2012/11/help-required-to-end-hunting-massacre-in-nagaland-india/
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