27. 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?

27. 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:

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

Answer: (a) 1 only

Only statement 1 is correct. The annual arrival of Amur Falcons at Doyang Lake (near Pangti village, Wokha district, Nagaland) is a well-documented success of community-led conservation. Local hunters shifted to protectors after 2012–13 awareness campaigns, bans, and ecotourism initiatives, allowing safe stopovers for the migratory birds. Statement 2 is incorrect: Satellite/GPS tracking has been used by scientists (e.g., BNHS, Wildlife Institute of India) to study migration routes after protection began, but it does not guide the birds. Migration is instinctive. Statement 3 is incorrect: Amur Falcons are long-distance migrants (breeding grounds mainly in Siberia/northeast Asia to non-breeding grounds in southern/eastern Africa). They use Doyang only as a temporary stopover (typically October–November) to refuel; they are not permanent residents in India.

Proper nouns evaluation and sources

• Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis): Named after the Amur region (southeastern Siberia/Manchuria). They undertake one of the longest raptor migrations (~20,000–22,000 km round trip), with a major stopover in northeast India.

• Doyang Lake / Doyang Reservoir: Artificial reservoir created by the Doyang Hydro Electric Project on the Doyang River (largest in Nagaland), near Pangti village in Wokha district. It became a key roosting/feeding site (insects over the water) after dam construction around 2000; it hosts the world’s largest known congregation of the species (sometimes hundreds of thousands to over a million birds).

Key appearances

• PIB / government sources: 2015 PIB release on Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar’s visit to Doyang Lake, noting the community conservation success, tagging of birds (e.g., “Naga” and “Pangti”), and plans for eco-tourism. Nagaland DIPR and state forest department orders (including recent temporary silence zones around the roost) regularly highlight protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and CMS.

• The Hindu / Frontline: Detailed features on the “massacre to conservation miracle” story (e.g., 2025 Frontline article on Pangti village’s transformation from hunters to protectors, Amur Falcon Festival, and ongoing monitoring). Coverage spans the 2012 hunting revelations through annual migration seasons.

• Indian Express and other English newspapers: Reports on the 2012 hunting crisis, subsequent community turnaround, satellite tagging, eco-tourism, and annual arrivals (also covered in The Better India, National Herald, ThePrint, and conservation outlets). The story is frequently cited as a model of local conservation success.