Why Amur Falcons Choose to Stop in Northeast India: The Answer Lies in the Termites Found in the Region

Amur falcons are small migratory birds of prey scientifically identified in the article as Falco amurensis. They are surprisingly light, weighing about 150 grams, yet they travel thousands of kilometres between breeding and wintering areas. As raptors, they hunt animal prey rather than feeding only on plants.

Their stopover diet shows this clearly. Researchers examined about 1,200 regurgitated pellets from sites in Nagaland and found remains of two subterranean termite species. These insects provide protein and energy before the falcons begin their demanding migration.

The birds breed in eastern Russia, northeastern China and Mongolia, then migrate towards Africa. Satellite-tagged falcons later reached Tanzania, Kenya and northern Somalia. Their size makes the journey especially striking, while their feeding habits explain why termite-rich stopover sites in Northeast India are so important.

Amur falcons travel thousands of kilometres during their annual migration from Asia to Africa. Their route crosses the Indian mainland and then the Arabian Sea, including an uninterrupted ocean flight of nearly 3,000 kilometres. The tracked birds covered between about 5,100 and 6,100 kilometres before reaching Africa.

Apapang travelled approximately 6,100 kilometres in six days and eight hours. Alang covered around 5,600 kilometres in six days and 14 hours, while Ahu travelled about 5,100 kilometres in five days. Before departure, they fed heavily on termites at Northeast Indian stopover sites.

The article identifies Odontotermes feae and Odontotermes horni as major prey species. However, its final sentence is incomplete after saying researchers estimated that a number of termites were eaten. Therefore, no termite-consumption figure is available in the supplied text.

Manipur and Nagaland are crucial autumn stopovers because they offer food at exactly the right time. After the monsoon, termites emerge in enormous numbers. This seasonal abundance gives migrating Amur falcons a rich source of protein and energy before their hardest flight.

The birds undergo hyperphagia, meaning intense pre-migratory feeding. Researchers examined about 1,200 pellets from Pangti, Yaongyimchen and Hakhizhe in Nagaland. They found substantial remains of Odontotermes feae and Odontotermes horni, two subterranean termite species. The falcons convert that food into stored fat.

That reserve supports their nonstop journey over the Arabian Sea, where they cannot land or find food and water. The stopover therefore matters beyond feeding. It links Northeast India's insect emergence with the survival of a migration spanning continents and helps explain why thousands gather there each autumn.

Amur falcons cannot refuel once they begin their ocean crossing. Before departure, they feed intensely at Northeast Indian sites, where termites emerge in large numbers after the monsoon. This behaviour is called hyperphagia, or intense pre-migratory fattening.

The mechanism is straightforward but powerful. Termites supply protein and energy, and the falcons convert that food into fat reserves. Researchers found substantial remains of Odontotermes feae and Odontotermes horni in pellets collected at three Nagaland sites. Those findings connect the birds' diet directly to their migration preparation.

The stored fat sustains an uninterrupted flight across nearly 3,000 kilometres of the Arabian Sea. The falcons are terrestrial birds and cannot land on water, so no food or water is available during that crossing. Protecting termite-rich stopover habitat therefore supports the birds' long-distance migration.

After leaving India's coast, Amur falcons begin one of migration's most demanding stages. They cross the Arabian Sea without stopping, covering nearly 3,000 kilometres over open water. The birds are terrestrial, so they cannot land on the sea to rest.

Their survival depends on preparation at stopover sites in Manipur and Nagaland. There, mass termite emergence supports intense feeding, called hyperphagia. The falcons build fat reserves before departure. Those reserves power the long flight when no food or water is available.

Satellite tracking showed the scale of the achievement. Apapang covered about 6,100 kilometres in six days and eight hours, while Alang and Ahu also reached Africa after journeys of thousands of kilometres. Later updates placed them in Tanzania, Kenya and northern Somalia, revealing different routes across the continent.

Satellite tags show where falcons travel and how long each stage takes. Lightweight transmitters can reveal flight paths, ocean crossings, destinations and stopover behaviour. This information helps researchers locate sites the birds depend on and detect changes linked to climate change.

The 2025 project fitted Apapang, Alang and Ahu with transmitters weighing about 3.5 to 4 grams. Their signals recorded journeys of roughly 5,100 to 6,100 kilometres and later placed the birds in Tanzania, Kenya and northern Somalia. Separately, scientists examined about 1,200 pellets from Nagaland to identify termite prey.

Together, these methods connect movement with food. Tracking can highlight threats including habitat loss and hunting, while pellet evidence explains why particular stopovers matter. The combined findings can guide conservation attention towards feeding areas and migration routes that sustain the species.

Seasonal migration is a regular movement between regions during different parts of the year. Amur falcons breed in eastern Russia, northeastern China and Mongolia, then travel south towards African wintering grounds. The movement helps them escape harsh weather, find richer feeding areas and reach suitable habitats.

Migration is risky because it demands enormous energy and includes a nonstop sea crossing. Yet the article explains that, over evolutionary time, individuals that migrated had higher survival and reproductive success. Those advantages allowed migration-related behaviour to persist in the species.

The falcons' strategy shows how risk and benefit can coexist. Termite-rich stopovers help birds prepare, while migration carries them between seasonal opportunities. Tracking now helps reveal how environmental conditions and climate change may alter these routes. Understanding that change is important for protecting the habitats and stopovers the birds need.