Thats great news for the Falcons, it really was a crazy situation and the number of losses was unbelievable, 120,000 in one week, any species cant afford to be killed on this scale without causing a severe impact on there future existence, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper is another mega bird, very sad news indeed
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
The current issue of Birdlife International's magazine "World Birdwatch" reports promising action on this sickening episode which came to light last year in Nagaland.
Following an understandable wave of revulsion, Conservation India, the Bombay Nat. History Society and the Ministry for Environment and Forests took concerted action to destroy nets and managed at least to release several captive Falcons, (these were being kept temporarily alive to be sold later as "fresh food"). The sale of birds was stopped and at least one culprit was jailed.
Future action to be taken includes establishing field teams to monitor Amur Falcons at their roost sites and direct action to prevent any repetition of this episode and illegal trapping of all other species. Alongside this also, the implementation of a sustained education programme and engagement with local communities is to be prioritised with a view to a lasting solution.
All this costs money of course. Donations of course are a big help;- for details see: http://www.justgiving.com/amurfalcon/
The same issue reports newly discovered wintering grounds of Spoon-billed Sandpipers in several coastal areas of South China. - you've guessed it though- also subject to illegal and indiscriminate mist netting for food!
Regards, Mike P.
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Challenges are inevitable, but failure is optional.
That is just... horrible... I am just completely shocked. I had to literally stop the film I found it so painful. I half expected to see them kill those birds off one by one.
I hope they manage to prepare everything so it doesn't happen next year.
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Target birds: Golden Plover, Little Owl, Common Crossbill.
This is shocking to me Almost beyond words, 120,000 Amur Falcons, caught, trapped, killed and Eaten in one week in India, There is a video at the bottom of this page with footage of the Slaughter, what an Amazing Falcon and its crazy to think things like this are going on today