The Kashmir Valley is a home of Natural Beauty and 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".