Spring has arrived! It’s a very exciting time for us all here at Londolozi; we’ve made it through a cold winter, and I know most of us are looking forward to some warm African sun on our skins again. I am so looking forward to summer, but I also know that when you check in with me in two months time – when summer is at its peak – I will probably be looking forward to winter again. With the warmer weather and changing of seasons – one of our traditions is about to begin. The Guiding Team has many great traditions; one of these is an annual competition to spot the returning migrants.
A summer scene. Despite not actually feeding on fish, this Woodland Kingfisher was perched on a dead branch that overhung a waterhole. Interestingly, kingfishers can’t perch on the ground and therefore dive from perches like this one in order to get a drink.
There are absolutely no prizes and one’s only reward is usually a strong line of questioning on exactly what else the bird could have been.
The injection of colour that the Southern Carmine Bee-eater brings is one of my favourite parts of summer.
The entertainment provided by watching Knob-billed Ducks defend any little pool of water that they lay claim to, is another great aspect of summer.
But the birds really have no interest in our competitions and they arrive despite all the fuss. One that I can’t wait to see is the Amur falcon, purely because I find the migration that this bird is involved in fascinating. And I use that wording on purpose, this bird is only one part of a temporary but complete migratory ecosystem in the sky that forms above the Indian Ocean twice a year. This ecosystem should in fact be fully formed at this exact moment with millions upon millions of species en route back to the African sub-continent; all of them taking the more direct oceanic line rather than, as in most bird species, the continental pathway.
The Amur Falcons are en route!
It all starts with the formation of the Indian Ocean Flyway that forms as the Indian landmass cools, building a pressure system that forces strong winds out into the ocean and toward warming Southern Africa. This is the taxi that everybody catches. It’s an Uber-Black that wastes no time in getting its passengers where they need to go, taking roughly only a week to cover the 4000km bridge between southern India and eastern Africa! Can you believe it – one week?
A male Amur Falcon perches on a stump, waiting for an opportunity to hunt. Only 29cm and 140g, this small bird has the longest migratory route of any raptor. Photo by: Derek Keats
Now the Amur falcon, recently re-named for its breeding grounds in Amurland, the border between far eastern Russia and north-eastern China, is one of the most incredible migratory birds on the planet, traveling a total circuit of 22 000km each year! They leave their breeding grounds around July and cover a whopping 6000km over Asia to hit southern India, just in time to hitch a ride on the Indian Ocean Flyway.
The migration route of the Amur Falcon. 11 000km one-way!
As we speak, this Flyway is busy whipping hundreds of thousands of falcons across to Kenya before they make their way further south to us here in South Africa. But what is sustaining these birds over this gruelling weeklong, 4000km stretch? Most migrants are able to rest at night, but the falcons don’t have that luxury. The fuel burn must be immense, despite the bonus of having a strong tailwind carrying you along.
The answer lies in a small and unassuming dragonfly, the Wandering Glider. Although unassuming in looks, this little creature holds the world record for longest insect migration, a whopping 18 000km over 4 generations! Now they are also making use of the Flyway, but what is sustaining them? The answer is millions of smaller insects, some with purpose – also trying to make the crossing – and others more unfortunate – just swept up in the strong winds.
But then what sustains them? The final piece of the puzzle is the aeroplankton that feeds only on sweet sunshine, taking that energy and sending it all the way up the chain to the Amur Falcon. And thus, the ecosystem in the sky is fully formed.
Amur Falcons taking advantage of the bounty that summer provides. Once here, they’ll be feasting on termite alate (flying termite) eruptions and other insects but at present, they rely almost solely on the Wandering Gliders for their long journey back to South Africa.
And that is all happening right now, the whole system is functioning and operational and helping to return two notable species back to Londolozi as the entire region comes awake after a dry, sleepy winter. The trees and grass will flush green again, the flowers are soon to bloom, insects and all their accompanying colours will pour out of the eggs and various cavities, the returning migrants are arriving, and summer will finally be here again!
Thanks for that absolutely fascinating information about the Indian Ocean flyway and the incredibly long migration for a bird that has a mass of only 140 grams!
Hi Darryl, that’s a great addition to the story! One I’ll definitely use, 140 grams and covering 20 000km! Thanks
very fascinating! love the carmine bee-eater….one of my favorite birds.
Can’t wait to see the first Carmines back again!
Hi Kyle, thank you for sharing these precious info on migration routes and smaller animals chain. Again… why do prey have to be so special and striking? I love dragonflies and follow blogs about them. But also predators often are, like the Amur falcons here. Great life chain nice pictures
Nature is just incredible, isn’t it Francesca? Thank you and I’m glad you enjoyed the read
Wow, that is interesting! I never knew they would have food flying with them as they are being swept towards Africa. But it is very logical somethings travels with them……………….. Great, thank you for the info!
Thanks Irene, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This is such an interesting article on these amazing migratory birds. Thanks!
Kyle, Thanks for this great migration story! The images of the Amur Falcon are beautiful and the incredible ecosystem that supports its migration is amazing. We learned something new today!! 👍
I’m glad you guys enjoyed it! I am really looking forward to seeing these birds arriving back.
Hi Kyle thanks for information on the migrating birds. Very interesting and I’ve learnt a lot from your story. My goodness but they do fly many km and over the Indian Ocean. Spectacular birds and thanks for paramount information on these migrating birds.
Thanks Kyle, I was unaware of the Indian Ocean flyway. It is great to learn more about the migrations that occur on our planet and how the eco systems work with their interconnections.
The interconnectedness of our entire planet really is something so precious and us knowing more and more about it will allow us all to make better and better decisions when regarding the health of these systems!
What a remarkable bird and what a great Blog Kyle. Learnt some super interesting facts today. Thank you ! I sincerely hope that with the ongoing environmental issues, which are changing weather systems all over the world, that this Indian Ocean flyway and ecosystem continue to bring this magnificent little falcon to Southern Africa 🙏🏻❤️
Exactly! The knock-on effects of human impact on “small” systems like these can have huge consequences for food chains and ecosystem health globally.
I always wondered how birds could go over open ocean for migrations….did not realize that the insects are there too! A buffet in the skies!
Interesting post with beautiful photos. Thanks! I was lucky @ an old residence which overlooked a large open space to see many raptors up close. One day I got a bit of a surprise when I went out on the porch and an American kestrel swooped in and landed on the roof overhang!
Wow, we had no idea that the migration was other than a flyway route. The whole ecosystem reality is rather marvelous. Nature at work again proving how small a part we play in the whole earth ecosystem. The only problem is that we can really screw up that delicate balance if we are not more careful!
Exactly! And we just don’t know, or at least can’t foresee, what the long-term effects of human impact can have on these systems. What the consequences of these smaller (relatively speaking) systems getting knocked out of whack will be!
So wonderful! What an interesting article. Amazing what these birds can do! Incredible. Watching spring return to the African bush would be thrilling to see!
For me the Indian Ocean flyway achievements are even more impressive that Richard Branson’s and Elon Musk’s successes!!! Thank you for sharing this fascinating journey!
Hi there Kyle. We had heard of the enormous journey of the Amur Falcon, but this article is very well researched and presented. Thank you so much. Wendy M
A really interesting blog Kyle. It really is amazing to think that these birds and insects travel such great distances from their witering grounds. Spring is a lovely time of year with the arrival of the migrating wildlife and a rebirth following winter. Happy spring to you all. Great pics also. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Leonie! It is such an exciting time for us all here.
I just have one more thing to add, Kyle, the more I think of this story you have told us about the flight of this incredible little bird from the border of China with Mongolia – 11 000 kms just one way! – and the Larder of insects in the sky coming across the Indian Ocean, I just wonder in awe at our mind blowing Creator who dreamed
this up and made it happen! Wendy M
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It really is pretty incredible, Wendy!
It was fascinating reading Kyle, to learn about the Indian Ocean Flyway and how it works for the birds and insects, especially your favorite one – the Amur Falcon. It’s incredible to learn they fly 4000 miles over an ocean to reach their destination. And then to have meals on the fly, so to speak, who would have thought?! Enjoy welcoming all of these beautiful migratory birds back home.
Nature has found a way! These systems are the result of hundreds of thousands of years of experimenting and “tinkering” and the results are spectacular. This is just one interconnected system among millions happening all around us. We live on such a remarkable and beautiful planet.
Fantastic information! Seen quite a few of the other migrants now, including Wahlberg’s eagle, jacobin and red-chested cuckoo, violet-backed starling and European bee-eater, but still waiting for the falcons!
Fabulous blog, thank you Kyle. Adds a whole new dimension to spotting them and ticking them off on my list with you and Rob. Really enjoyed this and learnt a lot.