Jammu, May 19 -- It has been four and a half years since the Kalij Pheasant was officially designated as the state bird of Jammu and Kashmir on October 21, 2021. The declaration sparked immense joy and jubilation among ornithologists, environmentalists, and, above all, the local communities that have lived alongside this bird for centuries and share an emotional bond with it. It was sincerely presumed that, henceforth, this bird-like many other species facing acute stress due to rapid deforestation and the destruction of ecological shelters-would receive greater protection and a better chance to survive and thrive.

Ecologically, the Kalij Pheasant belongs to the Phasianidae family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, ...