Each October a small raptor called the Amur falcon stops in Nagaland on its way to Africa. It roosts in huge numbers around Doyang, near Pangti village in Wokha district.
This post covers the birds, how Pangti went from hunting them to guarding them, and how to watch them well. It ends with the practical side: permits, rules, where to sleep and how to fit it into a trip.
The bird and its journey
The Amur falcon breeds in Siberia and northern China. It winters in southern Africa. The round trip is about 22,000 km.
On the way south it crosses the Arabian Sea without stopping, a flight of about 4,000 km. Before that crossing, it rests and feeds in North East India.
Doyang, in Nagaland, is its biggest stop. Mongabay called it probably the largest gathering of Amur falcons recorded anywhere in the world.
The roost sits beside the Doyang reservoir. The lake is young. It filled behind a hydro dam built in 2000.
When to go
The first flocks reach Pangti in early October. They stay four to six weeks, then leave for Africa.
The best time to visit is the last week of October and the first week of November. That advice comes from the president of the village's Amur Falcon Roosting Area Union.
Other years the union has named mid October as the peak. The birds do not keep a calendar. Ask for the latest count a week or two before you travel.
What happened in 2012
In October 2012 a small team came to Doyang. It included Bano Haralu of the Nagaland Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Trust and Ramki Sreenivasan of Conservation India.
They found the falcons being caught in fishing nets strung up like walls. By their count, 12,000 to 14,000 birds were killed each day. Over about ten days that came to well over a lakh.
How Pangti turned it round
A campaign began in 2013. It ran school eco-clubs, patrols and scientific study. Village councils banned the hunting.
Some former hunters joined a protection squad, paid by the state and the Wildlife Trust of India. Others became guides.
In 2017 the Eastern Mirror reported that Wokha district had recorded no falcon killings since 2013. Pangti now calls itself the Amur Falcon Capital.
Tagged birds and record flights
In November 2013, scientists fitted satellite tags to three falcons released from Pangti. They named them Naga, Wokha and Pangti. Villagers helped catch the birds.
Tagging goes on today. In November 2025 the Wildlife Institute of India tagged three falcons in Manipur's Tamenglong district. One, named Apapang, flew about 4,750 km without stopping, in about 95 hours.
How to watch them
The birds come in to roost at dusk. They leave at first light to feed. So the times to watch are sunset, and dawn before about 7 am.
The state helped build watchtowers and rest sheds, and Pangti has basic homestays. Sleep in the village and you can catch both the evening and the morning.
Bring binoculars. The sky fills at dusk, but the best views of single birds come through glass.
Reach the watch point well before sunset, so you are settled and quiet when the first birds arrive.
The village rules
Be a quiet guest. In 2025 the district declared a silence zone for 3 km around the roost, for the whole season. No honking, no firecrackers and no loud music.
In 2021 the union also set rules for visitors. There was one way in, by road through Raphapen Junction. Boats from Doyang dam could not land visitors.
Each group had to take a guide from the union. Noisy vehicles were barred from 4 pm to 6 am. Visitors had to carry their plastic back out.
Rules can change from year to year. Check what applies when you book, and follow your guide on the day.
Where to stay
Stay in Pangti itself if you can. The homestays are basic, but they put you at the roost for both dusk and dawn.
The union has helped visitors find homestays in past years. Book early for the last week of October.
One night in the village is enough for one dusk and one dawn. Two nights gives you a spare evening if the weather turns.
If the village is full, Wokha, the district town, is the fallback with more rooms. You then need a very early start to make the dawn watch.
Getting there
Pangti is in Wokha district, in western Nagaland. Most people come in by road from Dimapur or Kohima.
Dimapur has the nearest airport, and trains from Guwahati reach it in about three hours. From there it is a long drive on hill roads.
We do not print a drive time, because we could not find one we trust. Plan the journey as a full day, and do not try to arrive after dark.
Is there a festival?
Nagaland Tourism held an Amur Falcon conservation festival at Pangti in November 2018. We found no sign of one since, so do not plan around it.
Over in Manipur, Tamenglong has held an Amur Falcon Festival since 2015. Its ninth edition was on 21 November 2024. Check for the current year's date before you go.
Permits
Pangti is in Nagaland, so Indian visitors need an Inner Line Permit, applied for online. Dimapur has asked for one since May 2025, so you need it from the first day.
Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit for Nagaland and Manipur. Check both before you book. Our permit guide explains the difference.
What to bring
Binoculars matter more than a camera. A long lens helps if you want photos, but the birds are small and fast.
Pack a warm layer for the dawn watch, a torch for the walk out in the dark and shoes with grip. Carry cash, snacks and water. The village is small and the shops are few.
Wear dull colours and keep your voice down at the watch points. The birds settle sooner when people are still.
Who it suits
This is a trip for people who like birds, quiet and simple stays. It is not a resort holiday.
The roads are long and the rooms are basic. Older travellers can do it, but should plan short days on either side.
Children who can sit still for an hour will love it. Explain the silence rules before you arrive, not at the watch point.
Quick answers
When are the falcons at Pangti? From early October into early November. The last week of October and the first of November are the safest bet.
What time of day? At dusk, when they come in to roost, and at dawn before about 7 am, when they leave to feed.
Do I need a permit? Yes. Indian visitors need a Nagaland Inner Line Permit, applied for online. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit.
Fitting it into a trip
The falcon season runs into early November. That leaves time to stay on for the Hornbill Festival near Kohima, from 1 December.
Late October is also the start of the season in Assam. Kaziranga reopens in October, and its wetlands are full of birds in winter. A few days there before or after Pangti makes a fine wildlife trip.
Plan your trip
We do not run trips in Nagaland, but we can help you plan the Assam side and point you the right way. See our North East festival calendar for the rest of the year.
Ask us about a falcon trip with Kaziranga. We will reply within 24 hours.
