VISIT
LADAKH » Wildlife
of Ladakh » Birds in Ladakh
Birds in Ladakh
A large variety of both resident and

migratory birds are found in Ladakh and some 240 different species have been
recorded. Most visitors will see
magpies, sparrows and crows which are
all common around villages. Other common birds include various species of
lark,
twite, fmches and snow pigeon.
In the mountains you are likely to see the
chukor partridge and the occasional
kestrel, while soaring high on the thermals are huge scavenging
lammergeyer
(bearded vulture) with a 205m-wingspan, and also HImalayan griffin vultures,
buzzards and the occasional golden eagle.
Of the migratory birds, the
black-necked crane is one of the rarest,
its numbers have been reduced to just a handful of breeding pairs in the Chang
Tang lakes. The barbeaded goose also makes the incredible journey over the Himalaya
each spring to breed on these high-altitude lakes having spent the winter in
the wetlands of the Ganges floodplain. The great crested grebe also breeds here.
Another visitor is the boopoe, which is easy to spot with its long curved beak,
and pink and black crest. This bird's arrival traditionally heralds the beginning
of summer.