Ri Bhoi village eagerly awaits arrival of Amur Falcon

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 11, 2023

In an effort to protect Amur Falcons, the Tyrso Valley Wildlife Protection Society (TVWPS) has requested the rural folks of Tyrso village in Ri Bhoi District to plant more trees where the birds love to perch.

The villages of Tyrso will welcome the migratory raptor during the month of October. The secretary of TVWPS Alos Nongpoh said, “To ensure their preservation and protection, we have requested the people to cultivate more trees.”

He said that the birds will arrive in the month of October and will leave in the month of November.

The migratory birds breed in South Eastern Siberia and northern China and then migrate across the world including India.  

The arrival of the birds is welcomed with pomp and show as the TVWPS holds the Amur Falcon festival usually in the month of October, a month which Nongpoh said is very suitable for the birds.

“They will not stay if the weather is too hot or too cold. The birds arrive in the month of October and leave in the month of November,” he said.

However, a concern with the society is climate change and Nongpoh said that climate change will have an effect on the migratory birds.

Having witnessed the migratory birds ever since the first Amur Falcon festival in 2015, the secretary of the Society has observed the birds very well and said, “The birds travel across the world as directed by Mother Earth and they have a deep understanding with the planet.”

The Society also aims to develop the place as a tourist spot even as the festival is held a bit distance away from the place where the birds stay.

“We want the government to turn its attention to us and set up tourism infrastructure to protect and preserve the birds,” Nongpoh said.

He informed that in addition to having a training center, there is a need to develop a tourist view point in the village. Currently, the place has guest houses and a training center.

Feature Image by Eric Michelat from Pixabay