SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has 592 species of birds, an improvement from earlier reports.
A study published in Indian Birds-a journal of south Asian Ornithology- analysed the available data which revealed that J&K has 592 species of birds belonging to 21 orders and 88 families.
The last checklist of birds was made in 2020 for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and that had put the number of birds as 555.
“This time 592 species have been found only in J&K and does not include Ladakh. The data shows clear improvement from the previous checklist,” said Intesar Suhail, Wildlife Warden North, and one of the authors of the report.
The other authors of the reports include Muzaffar A Kichloo, Neeraj Sharma, Parvaiz Shagoo and Parmil Kumar.
The comprehensive checklist of bird species found in Jammu & Kashmir, the report said, is based on a meticulous collation of ornithological literature, specimen collections, online and published sources with photographic evidence, call recordings, and sight documentation supported by detailed field notes.
“We report 592 species in 21 orders and 88 families, of which 555 are supported with media documentation, 326 have been either examined in hand or deposited in museums across the world, and six species have been accepted based solely on documentation considered credible. 586 species have been validated either through specimens or photographs, and 564 species are listed on eBird, accounting for 95% of all the birds reported from Jammu & Kashmir,” the report said.
The study found that 25 species are classified as globally threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
The study reveals that the areas that remained unexplored for a long time have lately emerged as the top bird watching destinations in Jammu & Kashmir. These include the north and central Kashmir Valley, the Shiwaliks and parts of the Lesser Himalaya, and the southern plains of Jammu Division.
