The Amur falcon — a marathon flier whose migrations stretch from the icy environs of Siberia to the outcrops of South Africa — has been spotted in rare areas across the State.
Birders and wildlife photographers have spotted the bird in Ballari district, amidst the forests of Kodagu, and in the urban sprawls of Mysuru over the past two months.
For perhaps the first time, the bird was spotted at Daroji Wildlife Sanctuary in Ballari district in November-end. Birder and guide in the sloth bear sanctuary, Pompayya Malemath, said a female falcon was perched delicately on an electricity line near the sanctuary.
“In more than 20 years of bird-watching in the area, I have never seen the Amur falcon here. Perhaps, it had strayed and was only passing by as I have not been able to spot it for the last 10 days,” he said. The falcon was clicked by Kushal Adaki, a Hubballi-based DJ, who says despite scouring the area in the hours after the sighting, the stealthy falcon could not be found.
Meanwhile, a couple of days ago, an amateur photographer spotted a falcon in flight in Kodagu; while earlier, in the haze of the morning, a bird was seen in Mysuru town by another birder.
In its long migration from the northern reaches of northern hemisphere to the southern reaches of southern hemisphere, the Amur falcon spreads across the Indian sub-continent. While satellite tracking shows its route from Nagaland, through central India, it is a rare spot in south India.
“The migration band is quite vast through India, and lone falcons have been spotted sporadically before. However, now, as there are more birders and photographers, we are seeing more sightings of it in Karnataka,” said M.B. Krishna, ornithologist.
