Through a Birder’s Lens

The secret lies in Kashmir’s geography.

The valley is cradled by the Himalayas, and the landscape ranges from wetlands, glacial lakes and mountain streams to alpine meadows and pine forests — all within a relatively small region. The harsh winds of Central Asia are blocked by the Himalayas, keeping the valley milder than the high country around it. It becomes a refuge for birds escaping severe winters farther north.

Within the valley, there is enough elevation and habitat variety for each species to find its own niche. But the wetlands are the true lifeblood of it all. Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Hokersar and the Pampore wetlands offer food, shelter and breeding grounds for countless species. In winter, they are home to migrants from Siberia, Europe and Central Asia, and in summer, they act as nurseries for resident birds.

Geological evidence tells us that a great part of Srinagar was once a lake, and when it transformed into a valley some four million years ago, the Karewas were formed. Pioneering Indian geologist Birbal Sahni described the Karewas in a 1936 article as “flat terraces or table-lands”. They offer ideal nesting habitats for species such as the European bee-eater and chukar. Their porous soil absorbs rainwater, regulating water flow while protecting wildlife from strong winds.

Together, these landscapes form a network that sustains birdlife across the seasons.

Srinagar’s bird calendar doesn’t follow the tourist calendar.

Winter brings birds down from Siberia, Central Asia and Europe, fleeing the cold. In summer, roughly between April and August, birds escape the heat of peninsular India and Sri Lanka and arrive to breed in Kashmir’s cool climes. For both groups, the valley is a temporary home.

And then there is a third category: birds that never leave.

Before the visitors arrive, the valley already belongs to a few year-round locals.

High in the pine forests of Yousmarg and Doodhpathri live the Kashmir nuthatch, a small grey-and-rust tree climber, and the Kashmir nutcracker, a whitish bird that spends its days burying pine seeds in the soil. Sharing these forests is the black-and-yellow grosbeak, a big-billed finch whose male is impossible to miss, with bold black wings set against a body the colour of egg yolk.

In Budgam, around seven miles southwest of Srinagar, you can hear the tawny owl long before you see it. It is a rare find, and its low, ghostly hoot drifts out of the dark. Wasim Bhatt, a well-known bird guide in Srinagar, says that one of these owls lived in the same chinar tree for years, becoming visible only in winter after the leaves had fallen.

The orange bullfinch is another eye-catcher — a small, elusive bird whose vibrant orange plumage seems to glow against Kashmir’s winter landscape. While it spends summer in the high forests, winter often brings it down to the hills around Srinagar in search of food.

And everywhere, in noisy little trains, is the Eurasian jackdaw, with its strange pale eyes, like two small moons set in a black face.

Down on the water, at Hokersar and other wetlands, the common mallard never bothers to leave.

Every year, as the cold tightens its grip on Siberia and Central Asia, thousands of birds fly south, and many of them choose to spend winter in the valley.

By late autumn, Hokersar, about 10 km from Srinagar, starts to fill up with teals, shovelers, pintails and mergansers. The greylag goose comes too, all the way from Siberia, and close behind comes the white-tailed eagle — a huge, patient hunter that follows its food.

Among the other guests is the long-eared owl, making the journey from Afghanistan and Kazakhstan and settling into the orchards around Budgam and Ganderbal. A trio of finches — the pine bunting, the brambling and the yellowhammer — make the same long journey from Siberia and Europe, landing in the very same belt of villages.

Lastly, we have the great bittern, a recent addition to the list. It was first spotted in the valley in 2024, at Wular Lake, which wildlife officials called a landmark moment for Kashmir’s wetlands. Since then, it has often been seen at Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Hokersar, the Pampore wetlands and Manasbal.

Like their winter counterparts, there are a host of winged visitors that make Srinagar their home from April onwards.

The Kashmir flycatcher breeds here after wintering in south India and Sri Lanka, gathering around Shankaracharya Hill, Baramulla, Wular Lake and Bandipora. The European bee-eater arrives from Europe to nest in the soft Karewa soil around Budgam, Pampore and Srinagar.

Higher up, between 2,800 and 3,500 metres, the spectacled finch breeds at Sinthan Top, Yousmarg and Doodhpathri, while the western tragopan, one of the rarest pheasants in the world, thrives in the forests of Lachipora and Limber, near Uri. Along the valley’s mountain streams, keep an eye out for the brown dipper bobbing on wet rocks, and the crimson-billed ibisbill picking through the shingle.

The tourist map of Srinagar ends at the lake’s edge, but a birder’s map is always in motion. To discover a side of the valley few travellers ever see, simply follow the wings.