Thousands of Mallards, Common Mergansers, Northern Pintails, Common Pochards, Red-crested Pochards, Ruddy Shelducks, Northern Shovelers, Common Teals, Eurasian Wigeons, Tufted Ducks, Gadwalls, Brahminy Ducks, Garganeys, and Greylag Geese have come to Kashmir in the first batch of migration this season.

Wildlife warden of Jammu & Kashmir wildlife protection department, Abdul Rauf Zargar, told TOI that the birds mainly throng the wetlands of Hokersar in Srinagar, Hygam and Shallabug of Sopore in Baramulla district, and those in Pulwamadistrict's Pampore.

While most birds migrate to avoid freezing to death in their native habitats, the Mallards arrive to mate as well. The birds fly to Kashmir Valley via the Asian Fly Zone route, he said, adding, "This is the initial stage of the migratory season. The number of birds will increase by February."

An official posted at the Pampore wetlands said the frequent terror attacks in south Kashmir have scared the birds, which is why they avoid flocking to Chatlum, Kurchi and KreshKhori wetlands in the region. The Hokersar wetlands — 10km from Srinagar city — however, serve as a safe haven for them. Every year, thousands of waterfowls choose this location to seek refuge during the winter months.

Rauf said the department is taking all precautions to protect the birds from poaching. Though the practice of bird hunting has diminished over a period of time due to the department's efforts, potential threats still exist. In order to thwart such attempts, the wildlife department has set up squads to keep an eye on suspicious movement in the area. "We've recovered several hunter guns and poaching equipment. The poachers mainly strike during night time, but the rate isn't alarming," said Rauf.

Some survey reports by the state government, however, reveal that the number of migratory birds arriving in Kashmir has declined in the last two decades. Officials attribute this fall to rapid urbanization and accumulation of silt, causing the shrinkage of wetlands.

The Asian Waterbird Census of 2016 — conducted in 13 wetlands across Kashmir — recorded over five lakh birds of 33 species, with more than 94% of them in two wetlands of Hokersar and Shallabug. Earlier, the Bombay Natural History Society's annual Bird Migration Project in 1989 had recorded 64 species in the Valley wetlands.

Rauf blamed the rapid conversion of paddy fields and orchards into housing colonies as the reason behind depletion of water bodies. "Only two decades ago, there were vast expanses of marshlands across the Valley. These were later filled, which is why birds stopped visiting. Their chirping was replaced with complete silence," he added.

The wildlife department is striving to protect and revive water bodies and prevent their encroachment, Rauf said.