Shillong, Oct 17: As the mass arrival of Amur Falcons to Tyrso valley in Ri Bhoi district has started, the Tyrso Valley Wildlife Protection Society (TVWPS) has geared up preparations to for the 4th Amur Falcon Festival.

RVWPS secretary, Alos Nongpoh said that the birds have started arriving in groups and countless in number, and the first group arrived on October 14.

“These birds will stay for a brief period in the area around 35 days upto November 21. We know the duration of their stay based on experiences in the last few years. However if the weather is too cold, the birds may leave early,” Nongpoh said.

Visitors from various places would also visit Tyrso and Umru village in the coming days to witness this annual migration of the Falcons.

Nongpoh said that visitors can visit the village to see the birds only for three hours from 4 pm to 7 pm, and asked the visitors not do anything that disturb or harm these birds.

To rejoice the arrival of the migratory birds to the area, the Tyrso Valley Wildlife Protection Society will organized various activities which will commence with the 1st Amur Falcon Football Tournament for boys and girls of the area at Madan Tyrso Pyllun on November 21.

Drawing and painting competitions for students studying in various Lower Primary and Upper Primary schools in the area would also organized apart from the 2nd Amur Falcon Marathon for children and adult below the age of 60 years.

“We want to organize this festival to make our children and the villagers aware that we need to protect and preserve these birds,” Nongpoh said.

The Amur Falcons had first arrived in the area in 2010 and the TVWPS organized the 1st Amur Falcon Festival in 2015.

Asked about benefits received from the Meghalaya government to promote tourism in the area, Nongpoh said that the festival had compelled the State government to build around 9 km of road, of which, 6 km under PMGSY from Mawlasnai to Tyrso, besides sanction for constructing a guest house at Rs 34 lakh and an Entrepreneurship Facilitation Centre sanctioned at Rs 1.17 crore at Tyrso area.

He also said that the Assam government has encroached Umru village, and started building infrastructure to promote tourism in the area especially after the arrival of the Falcons in the area.