Due to dearth of published information on the bird life of Pakistan, a need was felt to compile the existing information in an easily available form for quick reference.

The Birds of Prey have gained great importance these days due to their value. Though Robert's book, Birds of Pakistan deals with the subject very comprehensively, it was felt that a book exclusively dealing with the diurnal birds of prey was required.. With this aim in view, this book on Birds of Prey of Pakistan has been compiled.

The book deals with the Birds of Prey of Pakistan and covers the details of species found in the country. It has been written specially for the students of natural science, ornithologists, wildlife lovers and research workers in the field of biodiversity.

The generous help that I have received from so many people over the years has served as a constant source of encouragement. I owe great tribute to Dr. Ejaz Ahmed, Deputy Director General, WWF-Pakistan, for his encouragement, motivation and valuable guidance, as well as for proof reading of the material.

I also pay my homage and sincere thanks to Mr. William S. Clark, the most competent (Birds of Prey) expert for his cooperation in field work and for providing research material during my study period. He has critically checked the manuscript.

I also desire to express my profound gratitude to Dr. T. J. Roberts and Oxford University Press for granting me permission to use various material from his book, Birds of Pakistan.

I am deeply thankful to Professor Dr. Muhammad Farid Akhtar, Professor Dr. Syed Kamaluddin Ahmed, Mr. Iftikhar Alam Khan, Mr. Muntakhib Hussain Khan, Ms. Saba Tajammul, Syed Zahid Abbas, Madhia Iftikhar, Furqan Ahmed and Imtiaz Ahmed, who gave me valuable advice during compilation, proof reading and composition of my book.

I am also grateful to Mr. Hamid Iqbal Javed, Director, Zoological Survey of Pakistan for his valuable suggestions and technical support during the compilation of the book.

I am also extremely grateful to Mr. Syed Ali Ghalib, Zoologist; Dr. Hafizur Rehman, Senior Wildlife Preservation Officer, Zoological Survey Department; and S. Ali Hasnain, Project Manager, WWF-Pakistan for their valuable suggestions.

My warmest thanks are also due to IUCN-Pakistan for making this book available online. It is envisaged that this will help create public awareness about the conservation of this very important group of birds.