NEW DELHI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- India's federal environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday said two satellite-tagged Amur falcons returned to the northeastern state of Manipur after traveling across 23 countries.
According to the minister, the falcons arrived in Manipur on Thursday, 11 days after departing from their breeding grounds in neighboring China.
The two falcons were tagged by scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in November last year, and have traveled through 23 countries on their journey across Africa and Asia, the minister said in a social media post.
Officials said the return of the Amur falcons marks the completion of a round-trip migration journey, highlighting the remarkable long-distance movements of the migratory bird.
Yadav said the falcons are now expected to spend two to three weeks at select stopover sites in the mountainous areas of Tamenglong district in Manipur, where local people eagerly wait for their return year after year and protect the falcons. ■
