Birds of India
A Photographic Field Guide for Bird Watching
by
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The book in question Birds of India is a new arrival on bird watching. It is a book that would help a keen bird watcher and all those who are interested in birds of India. This is due to variety of reasons. Firstly, the most of the books that are available in the market include coloured line diagrams or the birds. These diagrams, though sometimes of good quality, cannot describe the features of a bird with that perfect accuracy that a good photograph can do. It is here that this book excels. It is also because those books that contain photograph of the birds normally have a small photo of a species. This may not be able to justice with the birds. Though this book covers a little over 230 species, it covers most of the birds that one encounters. Whatever birds it covers, it covers beautifully with photographs and description. Photographs are good and would help the reader to identify the bird species and appreciate its features. Bird photography is a difficult task and for this reason the author, who is also the photographer for this book deserves to be congratulated. To begin with, introductory chapters describe main features of a bird, particularly those that help to identify the species. It shows this not by written description alone but is also accompanied by photographs. For example, it shows many adapted forms of the beak of many birds, including hornbill, sparrow, parakeet, parakeet and many others. This would help both novice and experienced to appreciate different shapes of bill and their role in search of food. This would also help to decide where to look for such a bird. Ultimately it leads to determine by looking at shape and size of bill and other feature of the bird to determine its natural place of dwelling. Many times it is very helpful to decide the species. The first three chapters are short and introductory. One important feature that has been covered in these chapters is how to identify a bird’s species. This description, starting from the natural habitat and size of the bird goes on to describe special features that pin point to a particular species. These special features could be special shape of the beak, for example in avocet the beak is curved upward, a white patch on breast of kingfisher or some other marking. Such features have been described well and would definitely help the beginners to confirm the identity. Sometimes these features are of a group or an individual species. This also includes how to prepare to observe birds in their natural habitat and precautions to be taken in order to get a good view. Chapter 4 makes the major part of the book as it contains written and photographic description of a large number of birds. It includes most of the commonly found birds, many less common and some rare birds too. The total birds have been divided into 34 groups. This would help to locate description of a particular species. For example, shrikes form a group and babblers form another group. Sometimes few similar birds form a group; in this way waders form a group. To keep the number of groups manageable, some less related species also form a group. For this purpose pigeons and doves form a group and bee-eaters and barbets form another. In a group, each species is described in detail giving its morphological features, food habits and natural place of dwelling. This is accompanied by at one or more, photographs. Description also includes the difference in sexes, so it makes it easy to distinguish between male and female. Where male and female are strikingly different, for example as in purple sun bird, this has been emphasized. In most of such cases, photographs of male and female have been included so that the point is appreciated by the reader. At the end of the book, index of common names and scientific name of all the species are given with page number on which details of the species appears. This would help to locate the species easily. The book has been composed and printed in a very good format making it easy to use in the field. It would be a nice addition to the existing shelf of bird lovers.
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About the Book
Introduction to birds of India is a photographic field guide for those enthusiasts who are interested in knowing more about the birds found in India. Instead of relying on coloured diagrams and illustrations of birds, this book relies on presenting its readers with photographs of around 230 species of birds found in India, thus making it particularly useful ready reference tool in the field. This book not only familiarizes its readers to identify with particular characteristics of a bird, but also covers how those characteristics can assist a bird watcher in identifying with the diet, habitat and behaviour of the bird. The initial chapters also covers the basic precautions that must be adhered to, in order to ensure that birds are observed in their natural environment A major part of the book in dedicated to written and photographic description of more than two hundred birds, both common and rare that are found in India. For the ease of the readers, the birds are divided into thirty four groups, covering in detail their morphological features, food habits and natural place of dwelling. Each bird is accompanied with one or more photograph, including description/ photographs highlighting the difference in sexes and maturity. The index at the end of the book lists the birds with common and scientific names and page reference where their detail description appears. Compiling photographs of such wide variety of birds in itself in no small task, requiring years of patience and dedication, for which the author deserves due credit and appreciation.
About the Author
Anand Saxena has been an avid bird watcher for more than a decade. His passion has taken him to various parts of India, leading to this unique collection of photographs of some of the finest and rarest birds of the country, and study into their behaviour and habitat.