It is Sunday in Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, and like many Naga, Gwasinlo Thong has spent the morning in church. A tall, elegant man in a crisp navy suit, he hands over a bag of guava from his garden as we sit down to talk. “When I was a child we used to hear […]
Tag: Amur Falcon
Autumn Migration
Raptor and passerine migration is now well and truly underway in my region of Japan. The Chinese Goshawks have finished and now it is the turn of the Oriental Honey Buzzards, Grey-faced Buzzards, Eurasian Sparrowhawks and smaller numbers of Northern Hobby and Japanese Sparrowhawk. The Eurasian Kestrels have just arrived at Isahaya, along with the […]
Photos from the Krüger National Park
The Kruger National Park is the largest and most famous wildlife reserve in Southern Africa with a staggering diversity of wildlife and plant species all encompassed by beautiful unspoilt scenery. The Park has eleven different entrances, nine of which are on its South African border and two on its Mozambique Border that allow for easy […]
‘Flat out scary’: Only 9% of world’s migratory birds adequately protected
Migratory birds are awe-inspiring. Every year, millions traverse across oceans and continents, many each racking up thousands of miles as they fly. The longest marathon migrant, the Arctic tern, covers more than 70,000 kilometers (about 44,000 miles) annually during its journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and back. However, very few migratory bird species […]
Success! No Amur Falcons Murdered This Year
Just about a year ago I wrote about 14,000 migrating Amur Falcons that were being murdered every day in the Indian state of Nagaland, a stopover in their migration from Siberia to Africa. Now, as a result of action from Care2 and other groups, as well as three Indian villages, no birds have been massacred […]
Wildlife Photography – Ethics and Conservation Issues?
Nature photography, more in its role as a hobby than a full-time profession has fascinated numerous individuals to take it up seriously. It has done so by culturing a spirit of discovery and fascination for wildlife and spaces. Wildlife photography in particular is a compelling genre in terms of the personal satisfaction it evokes. Quite […]
India to Protect Amur Falcons from Mass Slaughter
In October last year, an astounding mass hunting came to light—an estimated 120,000–140,000 Amur falcons were being hunted and killed in Nagaland, India, every year. A small bird of prey, the Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) records one of the longest migrations among all birds—a staggering 22,000 km annually. Their journey starts in China and Siberia […]
Shocking Amur Falcon Massacre in Nagaland
This is a documentation of the shocking massacre of tens of thousands of migratory Amur falcons (Falco amurensis) in the remote state of Nagaland in India’s northeast. We estimate that during the peak migration 12,000 – 14,000 birds are being hunted for consumption and commercial sale everyday. We further estimate that a mind-boggling 120,000 to […]