About Ghanche District
District Brief
The Ghanche District is bounded on the north-east by the Kashgar Prefecture and the Hotan Prefecture of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to the south-east by the Leh District of Indian-administered Ladakh, on the south-west by the Kharmang District, on the west by the Skardu District, and on the north-west by the Shigar District. Land area of the district is roughly 8,490 sq. kms. Like neighboring Shigar, Ghanche is also mostly snow covered high mountains, dry alpine zones & permanent snowfields with glaciers, open barren valleys with small patches of alpine meadows and alpine scrub. Compared to other districts Ghanche is extremely rugged. Overall the district has less than half a percent of land under forest or tree cover (including farm forests and plantations), with about 4% of the land comprising of alpine and winter pastures. Only 0.4% of the land is used for agricultural and settlement purposes. A major portion of the district about 95% is either barren or permanently snow covered.Avian Diversity
Due to its rugged environment only 128 bird species are found in the district, with the highest number (59 species) being Passeriformes (perching birds). This group mainly includes finches, corvids, few buntings, redstarts, larks and pipits. During spring and autumn passage the district does home some waterfowl, with 16 ducks & geese species, 5 waders, 9 gulls & terns, with other 13 species of crakes, grebes, egrets and herons. In terms of predatory birds there are up to 11 hawks & eagles, 3 vultures, 1 owl and 1 falcon species in the region. Other birds in the region include 2 pheasant and 4 pigeon & dove species, with some woodpeckers, swifts and others.
Other: 9
Pheasants: 2
Raptors & Owls: 15
Water Birds: 43
Perching Birds: 59
Birds Checklist for Ghanche District
Anseriformes (Ducks and Geese)
Galliformes (Pheasants and Allies)
Podicipediformes (Grebes)
Ciconiiformes (Storks)
Suliformes (Cormorants)
Pelecaniformes (Egrets and Bitterns)
Pelecaniformes (Ibises and Spoonbills)
Accipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles and Vultures)
Gruiformes (Rails and Coots)
Gruiformes (Cranes)
Charadriiformes (Stilts and Allies)
Charadriiformes (Plovers and Lapwings)
Charadriiformes (Sandpipers, Snipes and Allies)
Charadriiformes (Gulls and Terns)
Columbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)
Cuculiformes (Cuckoos)
Strigiformes (Owls)
Caprimulgiformes (Nightjars and Swifts)
Bucerotiformes (Hoopoes)
Falconiformes (Falcons)
Passeriformes (Cuckooshrikes)
Passeriformes (Shrikes)
Passeriformes (Old World Orioles)
Passeriformes (Crows, Jays and Magpies)
Passeriformes (Larks)
Passeriformes (Swallows and Martins)
Passeriformes (Tits and Long-tailed Tits)
Passeriformes (Wall and Treecreepers)
Passeriformes (Wrens and Dippers)
Passeriformes (Sylviid Warblers)
Passeriformes (Laughingthrushes)
Passeriformes (Old World Flycatchers)
Passeriformes (Old World Redstarts)
Passeriformes (Chats and Wheatears)
Passeriformes (Thrushes)
Passeriformes (Accentors)
Passeriformes (Wagtails and Pipits)
Passeriformes (Buntings)
Passeriformes (Finches and Allies)
Passeriformes (Old World Sparrows)
This website is a joint effort of Forest, Parks and Wildlife Department, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan and Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (an indigenous private initiative)
to highlight the diverse birdlife found in the region. All the maps, imagery and photographs in this book are provided by the mentioned individuals or entities with appropriate
permissions for public use, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan upholds the copyright of these material on behalf of the owners.
birds of gilgit-baltistan
