About Hunza District
District Brief
The Hunza District is bounded on the north and east by the Kashgar Prefecture of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, on the south by Nagar and Shigar Districts, on the west by the Ghizer District, and on the north-west by the Wakhan Region of Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province. The Hunza District represents the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Covering roughly 11,780 sq. kms, ecology in Hunza district is mostly defined by dry alpine zones & permanent snowfields with glaciers, with patches of alpine meadows and alpine scrub of wildflowers, grasses and sedges. Major tree cover is only available in the around the small settlement in the valleys. Less than half a percent of land in the district is covered by forest or trees (including farm forests and plantations), with about 3% of the land comprising of alpine and winter pastures. A mere 0.1% of the land is used for agricultural and settlement purposes. Overall more than 96% of the remaining land area is either barren or permanently snow covered.Avian Diversity
About 260 bird species are found in the district, with the highest number (132 species) being Passeriformes (perching birds). This group mainly covers a variety of corvids, flycatchers and finches, some warblers, buntings, redstarts, larks and pipits. The district is also home to a variety of waterfowl, especially during spring and autumn passage, with 16 ducks & geese species, 27 waders, 9 gulls & terns, with occurrence of more than 20 species of crakes, grebes, egrets and herons. In terms of predatory birds there are up to 17 hawks & eagles, 4 vultures, 8 owls and 4 falcon species in the region. Other birds in the region include 6 pheasant and 7 pigeon & dove species, with some woodpeckers, swifts and others.
Other: 17
Pheasants: 6
Raptors & Owls: 33
Water Birds: 72
Perching Birds: 132
Birds Checklist for Hunza 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)
Otidiformes (Bustards)
Gruiformes (Rails and Coots)
Gruiformes (Cranes)
Charadriiformes (Stilts and Allies)
Charadriiformes (Plovers and Lapwings)
Charadriiformes (Sandpipers, Snipes and Allies)
Charadriiformes (Gulls and Terns)
Pterocliformes (Sandgrouse)
Columbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)
Cuculiformes (Cuckoos)
Strigiformes (Owls)
Caprimulgiformes (Nightjars and Swifts)
Bucerotiformes (Hoopoes)
Coraciiformes (Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers)
Piciformes (Woodpeckers)
Falconiformes (Falcons)
Passeriformes (Shrikes)
Passeriformes (Old World Orioles)
Passeriformes (Fairy Flycatchers)
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 (Kinglets and Bush-Warblers)
Passeriformes (Leaf Warblers)
Passeriformes (Reed-Warblers and Allies)
Passeriformes (Sylviid Warblers)
Passeriformes (Laughingthrushes)
Passeriformes (Old World Flycatchers)
Passeriformes (Old World Redstarts)
Passeriformes (Chats and Wheatears)
Passeriformes (Thrushes)
Passeriformes (Starlings)
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
