Overview
- The field survey began at 8:00 am and was run simultaneously at 58 designated points across north, central and south Kashmir after a protocol orientation held the previous day.
- More than 350 participants took part, including scholars and students from SKUAST-Kashmir and the University of Kashmir, conservation NGOs, trained volunteers, birdwatchers and local civil-society groups.
- Key sites included Hokersar, Shalbugh, Haigam, Wular, Dal, Anchar, Nigeen and Chatlam, which form part of the Central Asian Flyway used by migrants from Siberia and Central Asia.
- WUCMA doubled census points at Wular Lake from five to ten this year to improve coverage and spatial detail.
- Officials noted strong initial inputs from Wular and said ongoing restoration by the Wildlife Protection Department and WUCMA appears to be showing benefits, though definitive figures await analysis.