Kalij Pheasant is J&K’s new UT Bird.

Kalij Pheasant is J&K’s new UT Bird.

Kalij Pheasant has been adopted as J&K’s new UT bird, while Hangul remains as UT animal.

Commissioner secretary, Forests, Environment and Ecology, Sanjeev Verma confirmed that Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos) has been adopted as UT bird.

 “J&K had to adopt new bird as UT bird because black-necked cranes are only found in Ladakh,” he said, as per news agency KNO.

Erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state had the black-necked crane and Kashmir stag (Hangul) as its state bird and animal respectively.

After reorganization of J&K, Ladakh adopted black-necked crane as its UT bird.

Verma said Hangul would continue to remain as UT animal of Jammu & Kashmir.

Earlier, the administration of Ladakh has named snow leopard as state animal and black-necked crane as state bird for the Union Territory.

JAMMU KASHMIR