Introduction
Home of 310 bird species, the Ladakh area is marked by the diversity of its avifauna. Lying close to the Palearctic-Oriental regions and also sharing some features of the Tibetan biome, this Trans-Himalayan area lies in the Jammu & Kashmir states in the northwest corner of India and is bounded by the Himalaya and the Karakoram ranges. Starting from 2750m over sea level and going up to 7600m, Ladakh lies in the rain shadow of the mountain ranges. The
landscape is desolate and barren and winter temperatures drop to (-)400C. The uniqueness of the land has resulted in Ladakh being home to some birds which are not found anywhere else in India.
Location
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How to reach
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By bus/taxi from Srinagar, Kashmir on the 430km Srinagar - Leh Highway (open June - Nov.) or from Manali,Himachal Pradesh on the 470kms Manali-Leh Road (July-Sep.).
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By air from Srinagar, Jammu, Chandigarh and New Delhi
Where to stay
Many
hotels/lodges to choose from. Heavily booked in season between July - September.
Season
June to September.
References
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Birds and Mammals of Ladakh (ISBN
019565714-4) by Otto Pfister - Indispensable !
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A Birdwatcher's Guide to India by Krys Kazmierczak
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Ladakh - a high-altitude melting -pot ~ Otto Pfister; BirdingASIA 1, June 2004
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Place to be: Ladakh ~ Otto
Pfister; Sanctuary Asia, Vol. XXIV No.4, August 2004
Websites
Jammu & Kashmir Tourism
Important address
The Director General Tourism,
J&K Government
Tourist Reception Centre, Srinagar-190 001
Tel: 2452690-91 Fax: 2452361.
