IIOJK Wetlands Expected To Host 8 To 10 Lakh Migratory Birds This Season

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Nov, 2022 ) :In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), at least 8 to 10 lakh migratory birds are expected to arrive in the territory's wetlands this season.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Wildlife Warden Wetlands, Kashmir, Ifshan Dewan in an interview said so far ten to twenty thousand migratory birds have arrived in Hokersar wetland.

She said, no new bird species has arrived yet and birds that usually come are arriving in large numbers.

"The arrival of birds starts from October onwards and they stay in Kashmir till March end," she added.

Ifshan Dewan said that this season, they expect the arrival of at least eight to ten lakh migratory birds in IIOJK wetlands this year.

It is to mention here that occupied Kashmir has some 400 water bodies, out of which the officials and avian watchers observe birds in some 25 big and notified water bodies.

Shalbough, located in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, is the biggest wetland spread over 16 sq km while Hokersar on the Srinagar outskirts is around 13.5km while Hygam wetland in north Kashmir is spreadacross 9km.

The birds traverse from the colder areas of the world flying over continents in flocks. They come from Europe, Central Asia, China and Japan to spend the winter in the waters of the Kashmir valley.