According to Virk et al. (2003) the Northern Areas have one of the most diverse avi fauna of the mountain region of the world. But little information is available on the distribution, status, diversity and ecology of many of these bird species. The most comprehensive account of the avi-fauna of Pakistan comes from Robert (1992, 1991). Some researchers have documented bird diversity of certain parts of Northern Areas. These include studies on avi-fauna of the Khunjerab National Park (Blumstein, 1995), Deosai plateau in Baltistan (Khan and Rafiq, 1998; Woods et al., 1997) and in the Nalter Wildlife Sanctuary (Sheikh, 2001). Much of the information contained in this section is derived from these publications.

The Karakoram and Himalayan ranges separate the uplands of Central Asia from South Asia, forming a barrier between two large areas of Asia which are different climatically. The geographic location of Northern Areas make them ideal for many bird species. The area is a staging, transitory, breeding, migratory and native ground for many species.

In total, about 230 species of birds have been estimated for this region. These include passage migrants, vagrants, residents, breeding and irregular visitors. Many of these species breed in Northern Areas and are found over a large range. The estimated number of birds species here is based on published records, distribution range maps and discussion in Roberts (1992, 1991). But the lack of reliable and consistently published data of the Northern Areas indicates the need for long term ornithological studies to determine the distribution and abundance of birds.

Studies indicate that the area is rich in avi-fauna. For example 109 birds species have been recorded from the Deosai plateau (Khan and Rafiq, 1998). Similarly, 87 species have been reported from KNP. Nalter valley in particular and lower Hunza, Gilgit and Astore valleys in general have been studied by Sheikh (2001) describing the ecology, breeding biology, distribution and species diversity of about 110 species .A large number of warblers, buntings, red start were found to be breeding here.

There are some rare species which not only occur in the area but also breed here. These include lammergeyer and the golden eagle. There is a possibility that species like peregrine falcon also breed in some high altitudes valleys, particularly in Ghizer district. A few sightings of lesser kestrel have also been reported in lower Hunza near the Hunza river by Sheikh (2001). Some of the restricted range species like snow partridge and Himalayan monal pheasant are extremely rare and may be at the verge of extinction from many of their earlier strongholds.

The most diverse group of birds in Northern Areas is the passseriformes species. There are mostly warblers, tits, fly catchers and buntings.

BirdLife International (2001) reported 27 species of Pakistan birds which are threatened internationally. Out of these, several species are found in Northern Areas. There may be several more species, which are threatened nationally or face local extinction. For example, snow partridge and Himalayan monal pheasant are facing local extinction from many valleys. Similarly, large–billed bush warbler and tytlers warblers are rare species, but not included in the report of Bird Life International. A list of threatened species is given in the following table. These species have small and fragmented population and are threaten by loss and fragmentation of their habitat. (Virk et al., 2003).

Table. Threatened bird species in Northern Areas

Source: Derived from Sheikh (2001) and Roberts (1992, 1991) in Virk, A.T., Sheikh, K.M. and Marwat, A.H. 2003. NASSD Background Paper on Biodiversity, IUCN Pakistan.