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Kaghan Valley ; Himalayan Bird Watching in Summer

The best places to go birding and see Himalayan birds in Pakistan are the Margalla Hills in winter and the Kaghan Valley in summer. Birds that have spent the winter in the Margalla Hills, the Punjab Plains, and even in places as far away as southern India and Sri Lanka, come to the Kaghan Valley around May to breed and spend the summer. They reside in the valley’s moist temperate Himalayan forests (comprised mostly of evergreen conifers with some deciduous trees), which span an area of around 2,000~2,800 m.

The following is a record of my birding experience in the Kaghan Valley in late May. Many places in the Kaghan Valley, including Narang, have undergone development to accommodate domestic tourists (if I am to be honest, overtourism has left them in a terrible state), and birdwatchers are advised to avoid visiting during peak season or on weekends.

We walked along the slopes of a coniferous forest with giant pine trees and explored the streams and cultivated areas. During this visit, in addition to birds, we were able to observe two species of flying squirrels (the Kashmir flying squirrel and the red giant flying squirrel), as well as a rare species of Kashmir langur.

Here are some of the birds we encountered during our three days and two nights of birding.

Great Barbet

This is a species I have encountered many times. The great barbet is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and South Asia, but is found only in limited areas in Pakistan, such as the Kaghan Valley and Murree. Being of 32~35 cm in length, it is the largest bird in the barbet family.

Verditer Flycatcher

A verditer flycatcher (male). This summer bird is easy to observe as it often perches on top of tall trees.

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

Yellow-billed blue magpie are omnivores and can be encountered in a variety of situations. This family of corvids can be seen year-round in the Himalayan foothills.

Himalayan Bulbul

A Himalayan bulbul. This is a species of bulbul found year-round in the area from Swat Valley to Chitral, and from Margalla Hills to Kaghan Valley.

Streaked Laughingthrush

A streaked laughingthrush. This bird is found year-round in northern Pakistan and could be observed daily in the Kaghan Valley.

Grey Bushchat

A grey bushchat (male). This species makes short migrations (between 1900 m~3000 m) in the Himalayas and can be seen everywhere in the Kaghan Valley in summer. Females are buff (cream to light brown) in color.

Russet Sparrow

A russet sparrow (male). This species seems to be seen year-round in the Kaghan Valley, but also migrates to the Punjab region in winter.

Blue-capped Rock Thrush

A blue-capped rock thrush (breeding male). A summer bird in northern Pakistan. They migrate to southern India in winter. It would be great to get a picture of the breeding males!

Lemon-rumped Warbler

A lemon-rumped warbler. This bird makes short winter and summer migrations in the Himalayan foothills.

Green-backed Tit

A green-backed tit breeding in a hole in a large dead pine tree. They can be seen year-round, but some migrate down to the Margalla Hills in winter.

Western Crowned Warbler

A western crowned warbler, a summer bird of northern Pakistan that migrates to peninsular India for the winter.

Rufous-bellied Niltava

A rufous-bellied niltava. This summer bird is observed in limited areas such as Murree and Kaghan Valley.

Chestnut-bellied Nuthach

A chestnut-bellied nuthatch. A deciduous forest bird that is seen year-round in limited areas of Pakistan such as Murree and the Kaghan Valley.

Long-tailed Minivet

A long-tailed minivet (male). Migrates to the foothills of the Himalayas in summer and along the Indus system to the central Punjab Plain in winter. Females have gray backs and yellow bellies.

Indian Blue Robin

An Indian blue robin (male). A summer bird of the temperate Himalayan forests. Its beautiful chirping echoed in the forest while we were observing it. In winter, it migrates to peninsular India and Sri Lanka, where it can be seen not only in forests but also in tea plantations.

Rock Bunting

A rock bunting, a summer bird of northern Pakistan that migrates to the Punjab plains and northern Balochistan in winter.

 

Black-and-yellow Grosbeak

A black-and-yellow grosbeak (male). Found year-round in temperate Himalayan forests.。

Himalayan Bluetail

A Himalayan bluetail. This summer bird of northern Pakistan migrates to the Himalayan foothills in winter. It used to be treated as a subspecies of the red-flanked bluetail, but due to differences in migration distance and the darker blue coloration of the adult male, it became an independent species.

Spot-winged Tit /Black-crested Tit

The spot-winged tit or black-crested tit, a bird found year-round in the Himalayan coniferous forest zone, used to be treated independently as a species, but is now considered a subspecies of the coal tit.

Himalayan Woodpecker

A Himalayan woodpecker (male). This woodpecker is found year-round in the Himalayan forests of northern Pakistan.

Eurasian Jackdaw

Eurasian jackdaws observed from the parking lot of the Balakot restaurant where we had lunch. Their white eyes are very distinctive. We were also able to observe an Asian paradise-flycatcher in Balakot.

On a related note, I would like to share with you some of the other wildlife we encountered besides birds. My encounter with a rare Kashmir langur was so engrossing that I briefly forgot to keep looking for birds. At night, we observed two species of flying squirrels. Thanks to these activities, we had a very busy three days from early morning to midnight.

Kashmir gray langur

This animal is listed as endangered by the ICUN due to habitat loss. It is a member of the langur family, which is difficult to encounter due to its large migratory distance.

Flying squirrels start their activities at night, when they are no longer targeted by birds of prey, and we got the chance to observe two species, the red giant flying squirrel and the Kashmir flying squirrel, over the course of two evenings.

Red giant flying squirrel
Kashmir flying squirrel

Finally, a photo of some other group members who enjoyed birding together. The birder population in Pakistan seems to be increasing!

 

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA

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Category : - Kaghan valley > ◇ Birds of Pakistan
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Lolly, the Snow Leopard 2023

I visited “Lolly, the Snow Leopard” for the first time in a long time. The first time I saw her was in 2015, at the KVO check post in the border town of Sost, and at that time, she was 3 years old, being raised by people. Afterwards, Lolly was moved to Naltar Valley, where the Pakistan Army facilities are located.

So it must be that she is over 10 years old now?

Seeing Lolly through the bushes. She is so beautiful. But, she seems to be “a bit chubbier” than a wild snow leopard.

I waited for her to move away from the fence and go to a place where I could get some nature in the background of the photo. Here, Lolly was sitting in her favorite spot. On the day I visited, there was only one other local photographer there.

One of Lolly’s favorite sitting spots.

Oh, maybe she’s gonna make a move?

You can hear the rapid fire of camera shutters clicking in the moment she makes a move.

The thick tail of a snow leopard. This tail helps them balance when hunting on steep slopes and cliffs.

The bottom of her foot, covered with fur to protect it from the cold, and with a large ground surface area, making it easier to walk on snowy surfaces.
Pads on her feet…for the people who love them, we just can’t get enough of these ‘toe beans’!

The back is also nice to see, her ears, the nape of the neck…If you are watching a wild snow leopard, you can hardly get a view of them from this angle. Lolly was very cooperative this day, and during our stay of about 2.5 hrs, we could see her move to her ‘favorite spots’ and finally settle down right beside me.

Lolly was a very close distance (I could have reached out and felt her fluffy fur). I could hear her making growling noises.
Even though she is raised in captivity, for people who love snow leopards, to be able to be at this proximity with one, this is an interesting place where you can observe her to your heart’s content.

 

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Jan 2023, Naltar Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan

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Category : - Snow Leopard (captivity) > ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan > - Naltar Valley
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In Serch of Punjab Urial – Kalabagh Private Game Reserve

In January, we went on a search of the Punjab Urial, an endemic species of Pakistan, at the Kalabagh Private Game Reserve in the Java Mountains of the Punjab Plain.

The Kalabagh Private Game Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary for hunting, but in order to increase the number of animals for trophy hunting quota, the population needs to be allowed to grow. The rangers patrol with guns around the area to stop poachers, so the sanctuary is brimming with wild animals.

The Urial is an artiodactyl mammal of the family Bovidae. It is wild species of sheep, so they have large, arching horns and long beards on their necks. They live in the mountainous areas from South Asia to Central Asia. The Urial inhabiting the Punjab region of Pakistan were given the same protections as the Ladakh Urial in India, but in a 2016 publication in “Bovids of the World,” they listed it as the Punjab Urial, making it a separate species of Urial.

We got down from the vehicle, and slowly approached the Urial on foot to get closer. We paid close attention to the wind direction as we approached.

When we got too close to them, they quickly put some distance between you and themselves. We were able to see more than 30 of them, including some males with large horns, while we were watching them for about 2 hours.

And…the long awaited lunch time. At the Hunting Lodge, the setting and the service was very pleasant.

They served loads of locally produced ingredients for lunch. And it was orange season!!!

The interior of the Hunting Lodge. It was heavily decorated with many “Trophies” everywhere. The price at the Punjab Urial hunting auction is expensive at US$15,000 to US$16,000 per animal. About 15 are hunted from the Punjab plains each year.

Around the lodge, there were some young Urial kids that had lost their fear of people. They kept their distance from us visitors, but they could go up close to the people who worked at the lodge.

Our guide Abul with a Punjab Urial kid.

I will introduce to you the the wildlife of the Kalabagh Private Game Reserve.

This is the Salt Range Chinkara. It used to be a subspecies of the India Chinkara, but it became independent as a species according to the picture book published in 2016. It is distributed from the salt mountains of Pakistan to near Delhi, the capital of India.

An Indian Hare

The Greater Coucal, found in the plains and rural areas of India and Pakistan.

A young Eurasian Griffon. The wings will turn white once they mature.

A Grey Francolin, found in the plains of India and Pakistan.

They are very cute birds, that are skittish and run away quickly into the bushes to hide.

Wild Boar

This is a beautiful male Black Francolin.

After 2 hours of wildlife watching in the morning, taking a break for lunch, and then making 2 more hours of observations, we headed back to Islamabad. Probably, we would have seen even more, had we been there in the morning and dusk hours.

Finally, the majestic figure of the Game Reserve Ranger who guided our group. I was surprised at first to learn that they are protecting these wildlife so they can be hunted, but by all means, please protect them properly!

 

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA

Observation : Jan 2023, Kalabagh Private Game Reserve, Punjab

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Category : ◆ Punjab > - Urial > ◇ Birds of Pakistan > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan
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Who Visited The Ibex Carcass?

In the winter, in the mountains of the Upper Hunza, a carcass of a Himalayan ibex was found in the snow. A snow leopard had hunted it and it had been there for several days. This is a summary of the wild animals of the Karakoram that were captured by camera traps for 5 days there.

Who came on Carcass of Ibex?

Wildlife that was spotted: Snow Leopard, Yellow-billed Chough, Red-billed Chough (not shown in the video), Red Fox, Raven and Bearded Vulture

The ibex was said to have been hunted a few days before (maybe a week earlier), and there was still a little meat left on the ibex’s carcass. It seemed that it had fallen into the river while being hunted, and then pulled out of the water, so the carcass was frozen solid (the temperature is minus 20 degrees). In the video, there is a snow leopard that checks around the ibex but not eating it. It is possible that this might be a different snow leopard than the one which caught it.

Luckily, the camera trap was set up at just the right angle to be able to capture the entire body of the snow leopard, including its long tail. The time is 6:08 pm and it showed up shortly after dark.

There were some red foxes that came in the night and also during the day. According to the difference in their fur, it seemed like two different foxes had come to eat some of the leftovers.

We were also very excited to see a bearded vulture which was caught on camera as well! It was seen alongside with a common raven, and immediately flew away.

Even though it is just a single ibex, it becomes an important food source for a lot of different animals. Nature is really amazing.

 

Image & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Jan 2023, Gojar, Gilgit-Baltistan

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Category : - Snow Leopard > = Video Clip Gilgit-Baltistan > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - Gojar > ◇ Birds of Pakistan > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan
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Lammergeier, Bearded Vulture of Khunjerab National Park

This is the Bearded Vulture in Khunjerab National Park. Just as its name suggests, it looks like a vulture with a beard.

The Gypaetus barbatus is also known as the lammergeier, which are a large bird of prey that makes up the only one in its’ genus Gypaetus and is most closely related to the Egyptian vulture(Neophron percnopterus), and with the Palm-nut vulture(Gypohierax angolensis) they form a subphyla of the vulture subfamily. The tail is a rare diamond-shaped one, uncommon among raptors.

These bearded vultures feed on carrion, mainly bone and marrow. Small bones are swallowed whole, and digested by strong gastric juices. Larger bones that have lots of marrow are dropped from the sky, to break them apart and make them easier to consume.

This time, I saw a bearded vulture dropping a bone at Khunjerab Pass (around 4,600m). It may be hard to see because it’s quite far away, but I got a video of its behavior.

The Lammergeier dropping a bone from high above: Bone crasher!

The bearded vulture is a large bird with a total length of 115 cm and a wingspan of nearly 3 meters. Sometimes I am so overwhelmed by its size when it flies right overhead.

The bearded vulture as it descends along the cliffs of the Khunjerab River.

The Lammergeier found a carcass of an ibex on the banks of the river and perched on a rock nearby. It must have been frustrated that it couldn’t get into the narrow riverbed, since its wings might not fit into the space.

 

Photo & text : Mariko SAWADA

Observation :Spring 2022, Khunjerab National Park

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Category : = Video Clip Gilgit-Baltistan > - the Karakoram Highway > ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > ◇ Birds of Pakistan > - Khunjerab National Park
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Snow Leopard After The Hunt

Abul was scanning the mountains for the snow leopard that he had just heard. He quickly came back and told us “Congratulations!” Through his binoculars, he could find the snow leopard, sitting with a freshly caught ibex (with its head cracked, at that!) and the snow leopard had a hurt eye. It was such an exciting moment!

Youtube “Snow Leopard after the hunt”

Article related “Snow Leopard”      Feature “Widlife of Pakistan”

The two were just under a steep cliff dropoff, suggesting that they had both had a fall from a considerable height, which had been enough force to crack the head of the ibex open. There were signs of the ibex then being dragged to the hollow of this rock, were the snow leopard was now sitting.

Sadly, one of the eyes of the snow leopard was quite swollen and seemed to be impaired now, showing that the ibex was not the only one who suffered terribly from this incident. Abul began to voice his concerns that perhaps it was a serious injury that might prevent the leopard from being able to hunt in the future, spelling out its death. Not only thinking about the pain it must be in, but also it was quite heartbreaking to think that it might not survive for very long after this…

This is the moment I realized we were witnessing just how harsh the reality is for a wild carnivore.

Having said that, the sleeping snow leopard, then just showed off their cat-like expressions.

Tired from hunting + having a full tummy = a great sleep!

It seemed to have zero concerns that we were there watching it.

We were watching it through the spotting scope and getting photos/videos. I attached my iPhone to the Kowa scope (TSN-663) that I recently purchased this spring.

Those toe beans…

It was quite a large cat.

The snow leopard’s grey eyes that opened with a start.

After this, the snow leopard got up and went towards the back of the rock hollow. It really broke my heart to see its appearance, apparently quite injured, as it could hardly walk.

 

Photo & text : Mariko SAWADA

Observation :Apr 2022, KVO conservation area, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

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Category : - Snow Leopard > ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - the Karakoram Highway > - Gojar
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Protecting Nature in Karakorum: Cleanup Activities in Khunjerab Pass

This April, our snow leopard tour in Pakistan was excellent with great sightings! However, I was really saddened to see some marmots carrying garbage into their burrows at the Khunjurab Pass. On May 4, with the support of our tour participants, Abul Khan and the village of Moorkhun’s Boy Scout group, we cleaned up the trash around the Khunjurab Pass. Even if you ask the government to do something about the trash, we cannot expect a prompt response. It will still take some time to shift the culture and awareness about properly disposing of waste for the domestic Pakistani tourists. This season, we are planning to do two more cleaning activities again.

 

<<Video>> Marmot with Garbage, at Khunjerab top area

It was heartbreaking to see the hungry marmots, since they just work from their hibernation, eating the trash left behind by people.

Mr. Abul at the community hall in Moorkhun village, giving an orientation about the cleanup activities.

The most trash that is left behind is in the area near the border with China, which is the final destination for many of the tourists. Working at altitudes above 4,600 m, this work requires the cooperation of locals.

Cleaning along the ditch next to the Karakorum Highway. Snack wrappers, PET drink bottles, diapers, masks, etc. were all strewn about. How can people be so careless to just throw garbage out of their vehicle window?

A child that participated in the cleanup efforts.

This year we would like to conduct two more clean ups, one before and after the season. We still have a chance to regain the beautiful nature as it once was. In order to protect nature and amazing wildlife environment of the Karakorum Mountains, also called the “ridge of the world,” and the Pamir Plateau, I would like to do my best to protect it.

 

Image & text : Mariko SAWADA

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Category : ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - the Karakoram Highway > - Morkhun > - Khunjerab National Park > ◇ Conservation of Wildlife, Nature
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(Tour Vlog) Snow Leopard Spring Expedition 2021

This is the Vlog for the Snow Leopard Spring Expedition, April, when we had a great sighting of a snow leopard. We were on the recently melted snowy slopes near the Khunjerab Pass there the animals waking up from their long hibernation appeared. There were long-tailed marmots, along with predators like red foxes and the birds of prey from above, as well as herds of yak moving north, making their way to the highlands…and of course, the snow leopards. It is such an irresistible season for wildlife lovers.

 

Tour Vlog SNOW LEOPARD EXPEDITION SPRING2021

 

Considering all the hardships we have faced so far, I was filled with gratitude for this tour.

 

Videography: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: April 2021, Khunjerab National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan

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Category : = Video Clip Gilgit-Baltistan > - Snow Leopard > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > - the Karakoram Highway > ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - Khunjerab National Park > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan
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Punjab Urial (Salt Range)

This is a report of Punjab Urial, which lives in the hills of the Salt Range, Punjab.

The Urial is a mammal of the genus Ovis of the order Artiodactyla. This is a wild sheep species where the male’s horns are thick and curve back in large arcs over their head, and a long tuft of hair under the neck. In South to Central Asia, they inhabit mountainous areas. In the past, they were considered the same species as the Ladakh Urial, but in the 2016 issue of “Bovids of the World,” the Punjab Urial of Pakistan became an independent species.

This is an endemic species to Pakistan and inhabits only the Salt Range and Kala Chitta Range, between the Jhelum and Indus Rivers in Punjab.

The Punjab Urial habitat includes gentle rocky slopes and thick with shrubs.

This was our visit to the Potohar Community Reserve. Currently, Punjab state has 5 CBO (Community Based Organizations), and this was the smallest one. Established in 2017, the hunting of Urial was banned on the Reserve so since then, the small population has been steadily increased.

CBO’s are private Reserves which offer an auction (mainly focused on foreign hunters), to allow hunting rights to the older male Urial with large horns. The proceeds are said to be divided in the community and used for conservation management. The so-called “Trophy Size” Urial are males that have horns between 28 – 31 inches (71-79 cm). According to the ranger who was with our group, this system has helped improve the situation over all for Urial. These older males are 12 to 13 years old and will die at around 14, even if they are left alone, so the hunting auction is helpful to the community and will support the conservation of the other Urials.

As a side note, in 2020, 3 hunter permits where assigned to each CBO, with a total of 15 annual hunting permits issued throughout Punjab. The price at the auction goes up to $15,000 to $16,000 USD per head. Certainly, this income for the community is a significant amount. At Pothar CBO, 16 rangers were working to crack down on the poaching activities and the Urial are being protected.

A heard of Punjab Urial. It was not that large of a group, it seems only 6-8 Urial are usually in each heard.

These are the female Urial. Their horns are small and straight.

This is a young male Punjab Urial.

This male watching us from behind the shrubs is a “trophy size” male. Unlike the females and young males, these large-horned males are much more fearful of people. Like they know that they are sought after.

For a brief moment, the “trophy sized” horned male allowed us to see him.

He was such a magnificent example of the Punjab Urial, with the large, curved horns and long tufts of hair on his neck.

And in no time, it was gone. This encounter helped us realize the effects of high hunting pressure that had been taking place as a result of the poaching that was taking place until very recently. Things might change, as we have seen with the Markhor and the Ibex in these northern mountainous regions of Pakistan, as the Urial populations grow and the limited, controlled hunting takes place.

The Punjab Urial populations were reduced by livestock that were overgrazing the habitat and by the highway dividing up the wild Urial herds. But now that the auction system was introduced, the protection has improved for the Urial.

The ranger who was with us, told me that I was the first foreigner who was not a hunter, to come to this Reserve.

 

Photo & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Dec 2020, Potohar CBO, Punjab
Reference: Bovids of the World (Princeton Field Guides)

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Category : ◆ Punjab > - Urial > - Salt Range / Soon Valley > ◇ Wildlife of Pakistan
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Horned Lark (Deosai Plateau)

In July, when the Deosai Plateau is carpeted with wildflowers its known as the “Flower garden in the sky” and if the weather is nice, you can see the Himalayan Nanga Parbat from here.

This is my report about the Horned lark that I encountered on the Deosai Plateau.

The Horned lark is a wild bird that typically breeds in the northern part of Eurasia and North America in the summer and winters to the south. However in the northern part of Pakistan, it can be observed all year around. It can be seen in high-altitude open areas near Chitral, the Deosai Plateau and the Khunjerab Pass between 3,300 to 5,000 meters altitude.

The Deosai Plateau (Also known as Deosai National Park) is a high-altitude plateau with an average of 4,200 meters, near the boarder of India and the northwest of Pakistan. There are countless small streams that spread out across the plateau to form a wildflower haven sometimes called the “Flower garden in the sky.”

This open area is where the Horned larks breed in nests sheltered by the rocks and small indentations in the ground.

Wildflowers are in full bloom in early July.

This is the male Horned lark. As the name indicates, there are two horn-like crests on the top of its head. In some areas, there are Horned larks that have a more yellow coloring on their face throat, but in Pakistan they are white to a creamy color.

The male seen from the front.

The male Horned lark from behind. The created feathers that form the horns are incredibly cute.

This is a juvenile Horned lark. It was about the same size as the adult birds.

The Horned lark pecking at the grass seeds.

Is this a little bread crumb left by some tourists? They are feeding them to their chicks. The area around the campsite is the easiest place to observe them because of the food leftovers, and the Pakistani tourists are also enjoying bird watching as well.

These chicks have to grow up quickly and prepare for the winter. In the coldest part of winter, they will come down to the foot of the Plateau’s fields and valleys.

The Deosai Plateau was described as a “Flower garden in the sky,” but unfortunately, that situation is changing. In the summer, a large number of tourists visit and without much thought will leave their garbage behind and will go off-road driving into the grasslands.

I wish more people would realize that there are wild animals and birds that rely on these important breeding grounds, during the short summers of the Deosai Plateau.

 

Photo & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: July 2016, Deosai National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan

Category : ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - Deosai National Park > ◇ Birds of Pakistan
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