Question
Which of the following statements with regard to the arrival of Amur Falcons at Doyang Lake in Nagaland each year from Mongolia is/are correct?
1
It showcases how sustained local conservation efforts can contribute to the arrival and protection of international migratory birds.
2
It reflects the global success of advanced tracking technologies that guide migratory birds back to their stopover sites.
3
It confirms that Amur Falcons have adapted to permanent residency in India due to favourable habitat changes.
A1 only
B1 and 2
C2 and 3
D3 only
Each Statement — Verified Against Biology and Conservation Facts
1
“Sustained local conservation efforts contributing to the arrival and protection of international migratory birds” — TRUE
This is the exact story of Doyang Lake, Nagaland — one of the most celebrated grassroots conservation successes in India:
Local conservation efforts → protection of international migratory birds
✓ Correct
Before 2012 — mass hunting: Over 100,000 Amur Falcons were being trapped and killed annually at Doyang reservoir by villagers in Pangti, Asha, and Sungro villages. Falcons were sold for as little as ₹100 for four birds as cheap meat.
The turning point: A media campaign by Conservation India in 2012 brought national attention. Conservationist Bano Haralu and organisations including the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) partnered with local Village Councils, the Amur Falcon Roosting Area Union (AFRAU), and the Nagaland Forest Department.
After conservation intervention: Former hunters became protectors and patrol members. Villages pledged “no hunting.” Ecotourism replaced hunting as a livelihood. Nagaland is now called the “Falcon Capital of the World.”
Statement 1 precisely describes this transformation — local community conservation efforts directly enabled the continued safe arrival and protection of millions of internationally migrating Amur Falcons.
✓ Confirmed by the Doyang story
2012: 100,000+ falcons hunted. 2013+: Community conservation transforms Nagaland. Pangti village = flagship example of local stewardship protecting global migrants.
2
“Advanced tracking technologies that guide migratory birds back to their stopover sites” — FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG
This statement reverses the cause and effect of satellite tracking technology:
“Tracking technologies guide migratory birds to stopover sites”
✗ Reverses cause and effect
What tracking technology actually does:
• Satellite transmitters (like those attached to “Guangram,” “Chiuluan 2,” and “Alang”) are research tools that researchers use to track birds
• The data helps scientists understand routes, altitude, timing, stopover durations, and ocean crossings
• Trackers transmit the bird’s location to satellites — they do NOT transmit information back to the bird
How birds actually navigate:
• Internal magnetic compass (sensing Earth’s magnetic field)
• Star map (celestial navigation at night)
• Spatial memory of previously visited sites
• Infrasound cues and olfaction
The tracking device is a one-way data transmitter, not a GPS navigation system for the bird. Birds do not “follow” tracking signals — they use their innate biological navigation to find stopover sites they have learned during earlier migrations.
✗ Fundamentally wrong
Trackers = research tools for scientists to study birds. Birds navigate using magnetism, stars, and spatial memory — NOT tracking technology. A tracker doesn’t guide a bird anywhere.
3
“Amur Falcons have adapted to permanent residency in India due to favourable habitat changes” — COMPLETELY WRONG
Amur Falcons are strictly migratory birds — they are NOT permanent residents of India:
“Adapted to permanent residency in India”
✗ Amur Falcons remain strictly migratory
• They breed in southeastern Siberia, northern China, and Mongolia (May–August)
• They winter in southern Africa (November–April)
• They use India as a stopover refuelling station for approximately one month (October–November) during their southward migration
• After resting and feeding at Doyang, they undertake a non-stop ~4,000+ km flight across the Arabian Sea to East Africa
• They return northward through India again briefly in spring
India’s role = pit stop, not home. Conservation improvements have made the stopover safer and more productive — but the birds continue their full 22,000 km annual migration. No adaptation to permanent residency has occurred or is scientifically recorded. The entire conservation narrative in Nagaland is about protecting a migratory bird’s stopover.
✗ Wrong — Amur Falcons remain fully migratory
India = ~1 month stopover. Breed in Siberia/Mongolia. Winter in Africa. 22,000 km annual migration. No permanent residency adaptation recorded.
Amur Falcon — Annual Migration Cycle (Permanent Residency Claim Debunked)
🦅 Amur Falcon Annual Migration — 22,000 km Round Trip
May–August
Breeding: Southeastern Siberia, Mongolia, northern China. Nest, lay eggs, raise young.
September–October
Southward migration: Millions depart breeding grounds, fly south through China, Myanmar, entering NE India.
October–November
India stopover (~1 month): Doyang Lake, Nagaland + Manipur + Mizoram. Rest and gorge on termites and dragonflies. Refuel for ocean crossing.
November–December
Non-stop ocean crossing: ~4,000+ km non-stop across the Arabian Sea — the longest over-ocean raptor flight. To East Africa (Somalia coast).
Nov–April
Wintering grounds: Southern Africa (Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa). Feed, rest, rebuild energy.
April–May
Return migration: Back north through India (brief transit) → breeding grounds in Mongolia/Siberia. Cycle repeats annually. Permanent residency = zero evidence.
What Satellite Tracking Actually Does (vs What Statement 2 Claims)
✓ What tracking technology ACTUALLY does
Lightweight transmitters send the bird’s GPS location to satellites at regular intervals. Scientists receive and analyse the data to understand routes, altitude, flight speed, stopover locations, timing, and ocean crossing duration. The data helps researchers map exact migration paths and guide conservation decisions (e.g., which stopover sites need more protection).
✗ What Statement 2 falsely claims
That tracking technology “guides migratory birds back to their stopover sites” — implying the birds follow technological signals. This is the reverse of reality. The transmitter is a passive beacon. The bird navigates entirely independently using biological mechanisms. The tracker has zero influence on the bird’s navigation decisions.
Amur Falcon — Complete Fact Sheet for UPSC
| Parameter | Detail |
| Scientific name | Falco amurensis |
| Common names | Eastern Red-footed Falcon · Manchurian Falcon · Local: Akhuipuina (Manipur), Molulem (Nagaland) |
| Migration type | STRICTLY MIGRATORY — NOT a resident species in India |
| Breeding grounds | Southeastern Siberia · Northern China · Eastern Mongolia |
| India stopover | ~1 month (Oct–Nov) · Doyang Lake, Nagaland · Tamenglong, Manipur · Also Mizoram |
| Wintering grounds | Southern and East Africa (Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa) |
| Migration distance | ~22,000 km annual round trip · One of the longest migratory routes of any bird |
| Ocean crossing | Non-stop 4,000+ km over Arabian Sea — longest over-ocean flight by any raptor |
| Conservation story | 2012: 100,000+ hunted at Doyang. Post-2012: Community-led conservation transforms Nagaland into “Falcon Capital of the World.” WTI + Village Councils + Forest Dept. |
| Satellite tracking | Used by researchers (WII, Manipur Forest Dept) to study routes. Notable tagged birds: Guangram, Chiuluan 2, Alang. Research tool only — does NOT guide birds. |
| Legal protection | Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Schedule IV) · Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) · India is CMS signatory |
| Nagaland title | “Falcon Capital of the World” — due to the Doyang conservation success and the sheer numbers roosting there |
Memory Trick — Never Forget This
🧠 Remember It This Way
Statement 1 = the Doyang story in one sentence: Nagaland went from killing 100,000+ falcons in 2012 to being the “Falcon Capital of the World” through local community conservation. That is exactly what Statement 1 describes. Local conservation → protection of global migrants.
Statement 2 trap — trackers study birds, not guide them: “Tracking technology guides birds” is like saying “a speed camera guides cars to the right speed.” Trackers observe — they don’t direct. Birds navigate using magnetic fields, stars, and spatial memory built over millions of years of evolution.
Statement 3 trap — “permanent residency”: The entire conservation effort is about protecting a passing visitor. Amur Falcons spend 1 month in India, breed 6 months in Siberia/Mongolia, and winter 5 months in Africa. India is a refuelling stop, not a home. No permanent residency, ever.
The non-stop ocean crossing: After Doyang, the falcons fly 4,000+ km non-stop over the Arabian Sea to East Africa. This is the longest over-ocean flight by any raptor. This single fact proves they are committed long-distance migrants — there is no version of this where they “settle permanently in India.”
