Migratory birds take annual winter vacation in Valley

WINTER WANDERERS: Melodic chirps of migratory birds bring alive the Hokersar wetlands in Kashmir every winter.

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Keywords: Winter, Migratory Birds

Hokersar (Jammu & Kashmir) Most people would shiver at the thought of a cold Kashmiri winter, but for lakhs of migratory birds, it's the perfect time to visit the valley's wetlands.

Brahminy ducks, mallards, teals, cormorants and many more, the melodic chirps of these birds bring alive the Hokersar wetlands in Kashmir every winter.

Only 12 kilometers north of Srinagar, Hokersar is the winter refuge of several species of migratory birds, which come from as far as Europe, China and Japan. The birds start arriving from September and make their journey back to their native habitats in spring.

The Wildlife Warden at Hokersar, Abdul Rouf Zargar says, “The Kashmir water bodies are the most preferred winter abodes of migratory birds. We have a total of 5 lakh birds in Kashmir's water bodies this year.”

The wetlands are vital in sustaining bird populations, as many species breed during the winter. But authorities at Hokersar say encroachments are eating away at the land available to the birds.

The government plans to promote eco-tourism from next year to help conserve the wetlands.

“The department is initiating a lot of programmes to disseminate conservation message to locals and tourists coming from the subcontinent,“ confirms Zargar.

Experts say many more birds will fly to Hokersar in the coming months, every year with the onset of winter lakhs of migratory birds come to Kashmir Valley, and with the dry weather having ended more are likely to follow.