The Kashmir Valley has been fabled down the ages for its natural beauty. It has best been described as an emerald set in pearls, with 'emerald' describing the lush, fertile Kashmir Valley and 'pearls' representing the lofty snowclad Himalayan peaks that encircle it. The valley is home to a rich biodiversity which includes a large number of bird species, many of which are unique to Kashmir. Unfortunately, it's environment is being seriously degraded by the combined onslaught of violence, pollution, global warming and habitat destruction due to human encroachment, unplanned tourism and deforestation.
India's best-known ornithologist Salim Ali once called Kashmir "heaven on earth for migratory birds". Indeed the local people are much more aware of the migratory ducks and geese rather than the resident species and not much seems to have changed from the 1890's when W.R. Lawrence commented that "birds have a happy and carefree existence in the country".... "the Kashmiri knows little about birds..... and though he takes considerable interest in the songbirds he is ignorant of the habits of the feathered kingdom.
It gives me pleasure to write a foreword to Mr. Samsar Chand Koul's little book on Kashmir Birds not because he is an old pupil of mine or because he is one of our School Staff who is interested in bird life, but because he is unselfish, and always wishes others to share his love for knowledge of birds. So it has been his delight for many years to take boys with him on his excursions on lake and mountain to teach them to love birds and look upon them as their friends, and this love interest has induced them to show their sorrow for caged birds and set them free, and ever be bird friends and deliverers.
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