Photos: Wildlife officials feed birds in freezing Kashmir

The migratory birds have long been a welcome noise for the region's inhabitants

Published: February 04, 2021 08:29 AP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor

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Srinagar, India: Wildlife official Ghulam Mohiuddin Dar and his colleagues break the ice on a frozen wetland, row their boats and spread grain to feed migratory birds in Kashmir. Image Credit: AP

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The officials feed the birds to prevent their starvation as weather conditions in the Himalayan region deteriorate, with two heavy snowfalls since December. Temperatures have plummeted to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). Image Credit: AP

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Vast paddy fields and apple orchards are blanketed in snow. Scores of wetlands and lakes, including parts of famed Dal Lake, have frozen. Image Credit: AP

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The cackles and cries of hundreds of thousands of birds that visit Kashmir during their winter migration have long been a welcome noise for the region's inhabitants. Image Credit: AP

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They arrive from as far away as eastern Europe, Japan and Turkey to feed and breed in the wetlands nestled between the region's mountain peaks and plateaus. Image Credit: AP

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A wildlife worker Mohd Ashraf opens a bag of paddy to spread on the frozen surface of a wetland in Hokersar. Image Credit: AP

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"They are our guests," Dar said on a frigid day as he dropped grain at bird feeding points on the Hokersar wetland. Officials say at least 700,000 birds have flocked to Kashmir in the past two months and expect more to arrive as temperatures improve in February. Image Credit: AP

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Environmentalists are urging residents to offer food to the birds in the icy conditions. "It's not just our official duty to feed them but also a directive from God," Dar said. | Wildlife workers as they carry paddy towards parked boats to feed birds in a wetland in Hokersar. Image Credit: AP

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Wildlife officers spreads paddy on the frozen surface of a wetland in Hokersar. Image Credit: AP

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In recent decades the numbers of visiting birds have declined, which experts say is due to a combination of climate change and urban development. They say construction around wetlands, accumulated trash and the changing Himalayan climate are robbing the birds of their traditional watering holes and nesting areas. Image Credit: AP

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Wildlife officials feed birds to prevent their starvation as weather conditions in the Himalayan region have deteriorated and hardships increased following two heavy spells of snowfall since December. Image Credit: AP

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According to a recent study by the University of Kashmir, the Hokersar wetland shrank from nearly 19 square kilometers (7 square miles) in 1969 to 12.8 square kilometers (5 square miles) today. Image Credit: AP

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