UPSC Prelims 2026Question 27Environment

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.
Select the answer using the code given below:

Options

(a)1 only
(b)1 and 2
(c)2 and 3
(d)3 only

Correct answer: a

Decision rule

Instruments that measure a natural process do not cause it: tracking records migration routes, it does not guide birds back.

Explanation

Correct Answer

(a) 1 only

Explanation of the Correct Answer

Only statement 1 is correct.

Statement 1 is correct:
The annual arrival of Amur Falcons at Doyang Lake / Doyang Reservoir in Nagaland shows how local conservation efforts can protect international migratory birds. Nagaland was once known for mass hunting of Amur Falcons, but community awareness, enforcement, and conservation campaigns transformed the region into a major safe stopover site. Research on the Amur Falcon conservation story notes that legal enforcement, local pride, and economic incentives helped stop hunting and sustain protection.
Statement 2 is incorrect:
Tracking technologies help scientists study migration routes, stopover sites, and threats, but they do not guide the birds back to their stopover sites. Birds navigate using natural biological mechanisms such as instinct, geomagnetic cues, solar/star orientation, landscape memory, and ecological signals. Satellite tagging of Amur Falcons has helped understand their long flights and routes, but it does not direct their migration.
Statement 3 is incorrect:
Amur Falcons have not become permanent residents of India. They are long-distance migratory raptors that breed in northern China, eastern Mongolia and parts of Russia, stop over in North-east India, and then migrate onward to Africa.

Therefore, the correct answer is (a) 1 only.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

Option	Verdict	Explanation
(a) 1 only	Correct	Local conservation efforts in Nagaland helped protect Amur Falcons during their annual migration stopover.
(b) 1 and 2	Incorrect	Statement 1 is correct, but statement 2 is incorrect because tracking technology studies bird migration; it does not guide birds back.
(c) 2 and 3	Incorrect	Both statements are incorrect. Tracking does not guide birds, and Amur Falcons are not permanent residents of India.
(d) 3 only	Incorrect	Statement 3 is incorrect because Amur Falcons remain migratory birds.

Relevant Supplementary Information

Amur Falcon: Key Facts

Aspect	Details
Scientific name	Falco amurensis
Type	Small migratory raptor
Breeding region	Northern China, eastern Mongolia and parts of Russia
Indian stopover region	North-east India, especially Nagaland and Manipur
Important stopover site	Doyang Lake / Doyang Reservoir, Nagaland
Wintering region	Southern Africa
Migration distance	Around 20,000 km annually
Special feature	One of the longest migratory journeys among raptors
Food during stopover	Mainly insects, including termites
Conservation importance	Community-led protection in Nagaland is a major conservation success story

Statement-wise Evaluation

Statement	Correct / Incorrect	Reason
1. Local conservation efforts help protect international migratory birds	Correct	Nagaland’s shift from hunting to protection helped safeguard Amur Falcons.
2. Tracking technologies guide migratory birds back	Incorrect	Tracking helps humans study migration; it does not guide birds.
3. Amur Falcons have become permanent residents in India	Incorrect	They only stop over in India during migration and then move onward to Africa.

Why Doyang Lake is Important

Reason	Explanation
Major stopover site	Large numbers of Amur Falcons gather here during migration.
Food availability	Insect abundance helps birds build energy reserves before long flights.
Community conservation	Local communities shifted from hunting to protecting the birds.
Global migration link	Connects East Asia, India and Africa through bird migration routes.
Eco-tourism potential	Birdwatching and conservation awareness can support local livelihoods.

Key Takeaways from the Tables

Amur Falcons are migratory, not permanent residents of India.
Doyang Lake in Nagaland is a major stopover site.
Their arrival reflects the success of community-led conservation.
Tracking technology helps scientists, but does not guide the birds.
The correct answer is statement 1 only.

Point	Explanation
Amur Falcons are migratory raptors	They travel between East Asia and southern Africa.
Doyang Lake is a key stopover site	Large numbers of Amur Falcons gather there annually.
Statement 1-type logic is correct	Their protection shows the value of local conservation.
Technology tracks, but does not guide birds	Satellite tags help scientists, not the birds.
They are not permanent residents of India	India is a temporary stopover during migration.
The Amur Falcon story is conservation-positive	Nagaland’s community efforts transformed a hunting site into a protection model.

Context and Current Relevance

Nagaland’s Amur Falcon story is a strong example of community-based conservation.
It shows how local action can protect species that migrate across continents.
The case is relevant to biodiversity protection, eco-tourism, migratory bird conservation and India’s role in global flyways.

Table: Amur Falcon at a Glance

Aspect	Details
Common name	Amur Falcon
Scientific name	Falco amurensis
Bird type	Small migratory raptor
Breeding region	Eastern Mongolia, northern China and parts of south-eastern Russia
Indian stopover region	North-east India
Important Indian site	Doyang Lake / Doyang Reservoir, Nagaland
Wintering region	Southern Africa
Migration nature	Long-distance annual migration
Food habit	Mainly insects such as termites, dragonflies and other flying insects
Conservation importance	Major example of community-led protection of migratory birds

Table: Amur Falcon Migration Route

Stage	Region / Country	Importance
Breeding	Mongolia, northern China, south-eastern Russia	Nesting and breeding grounds
Autumn migration	Through East and South Asia	Birds move towards warmer wintering areas
Indian stopover	Nagaland, Manipur and parts of North-east India	Resting and feeding before long onward journey
Major Indian congregation site	Doyang Lake, Nagaland	One of the most famous stopover sites
Long oceanic flight	Across Arabian Sea	Remarkable non-stop migratory flight
Wintering	Southern Africa	Winter feeding grounds
Return migration	Africa to East Asia	Birds return to breeding areas

Table: Doyang Lake and Amur Falcon Conservation

Aspect	Details
Location	Wokha district, Nagaland
Site type	Reservoir / lake area
Bird associated	Amur Falcon
Local community role	Shifted from hunting to conservation
Earlier issue	Large-scale hunting of Amur Falcons during migration
Conservation response	Awareness campaigns, local participation, enforcement and bird protection
Present importance	Major example of successful community conservation
Tourism potential	Birdwatching and eco-tourism
Broader lesson	Local communities can protect globally migratory species

Table: Correct and Incorrect Ideas about Amur Falcons

Statement / Idea	Correct or Incorrect	Explanation
Amur Falcons arrive annually at Doyang Lake	Correct	They use the area as a migratory stopover.
Their arrival shows the value of local conservation	Correct	Protection by local communities has helped safeguard the birds.
Tracking technology guides birds back to stopover sites	Incorrect	Tracking helps humans study migration; it does not guide birds.
Amur Falcons have become permanent residents of India	Incorrect	They are migratory birds, not resident birds.
They migrate from East Asia to Africa	Correct	Their migration links Asia, India and Africa.
They are raptors	Correct	They belong to the falcon family.
They feed mainly on large mammals	Incorrect	They mainly feed on insects and small prey.

Table: Technology and Bird Migration

Technology / Method	Purpose	What It Does Not Do
Satellite tagging	Tracks long-distance movement of birds	Does not guide birds during migration
GPS tracking	Shows precise movement routes	Does not control bird navigation
Radio telemetry	Helps study local movement patterns	Does not influence migration behaviour
Ringing / banding	Identifies individual birds and migration records	Does not help birds find routes
Citizen science observations	Records sightings and population patterns	Does not direct bird movement
Remote sensing	Helps study habitat and land-use changes	Does not guide individual birds

Table: How Migratory Birds Navigate Naturally

Navigation Cue	Meaning	Relevance
Geomagnetic field	Birds sense Earth’s magnetic field	Helps long-distance orientation
Sun compass	Orientation using the position of the sun	Useful during daytime migration
Star compass	Orientation using stars	Useful for nocturnal migrants
Landscape memory	Recognition of rivers, mountains, coastlines and wetlands	Helps birds return to familiar stopover sites
Wind patterns	Use of favourable winds	Helps conserve energy
Genetic instinct	Inherited migratory direction and timing	Important in long-distance migration
Food availability	Birds select stopover sites with abundant food	Explains congregation at suitable wetlands or forests

Table: Important Migratory Birds Visiting India

Migratory Bird	Important Indian Site / Region	Broad Migration Link
Amur Falcon	Doyang Lake, Nagaland	East Asia to Africa
Siberian Crane	Historically Keoladeo, Rajasthan	Siberia to India, now extremely rare in India
Bar-headed Goose	Wetlands of north India	Central Asia to Indian subcontinent
Demoiselle Crane	Khichan, Rajasthan	Central Asia to western India
Greater Flamingo	Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat; Mumbai wetlands	West and Central Asian flyways
Black-necked Crane	Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh	Trans-Himalayan wetlands
Painted Stork	Wetlands across India	Local and regional movements
Northern Pintail	North Indian wetlands	Central Asian Flyway
Rosy Starling	Western and central India	Eurasia to Indian subcontinent

Table: Major Indian Sites Associated with Migratory Birds

Site	State / UT	Bird / Importance
Doyang Lake	Nagaland	Amur Falcon stopover site
Keoladeo National Park	Rajasthan	Major wetland bird habitat
Chilika Lake	Odisha	Large wintering ground for migratory birds
Sambhar Lake	Rajasthan	Flamingos and other wetland birds
Rann of Kachchh	Gujarat	Flamingos, cranes and desert-wetland species
Pulicat Lake	Andhra Pradesh / Tamil Nadu	Flamingos and waterbirds
Harike Wetland	Punjab	Ducks, geese and other migratory waterbirds
Loktak Lake	Manipur	Wetland biodiversity and migratory birds
Pong Dam Lake	Himachal Pradesh	Migratory waterbirds
Tso Moriri	Ladakh	Bar-headed geese, black-necked cranes

Table: Conservation Lessons from the Amur Falcon Case

Lesson	Explanation
Community participation is crucial	Conservation succeeds when local people become protectors.
Awareness can change behaviour	Hunting pressure can reduce when communities understand ecological value.
Migratory birds need international cooperation	Their route crosses many countries and ecosystems.
Stopover sites are as important as breeding sites	Birds need safe resting and feeding areas during migration.
Technology supports conservation science	Tracking helps identify routes and threats, but does not guide birds.
Eco-tourism can support conservation	Birdwatching can create incentives for local protection.

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