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/