BNHS launches guide for bird watchers

To assist amateur bird watchers identify specific species of birds,the Bombay Natural History Society has launched a book called Birds of the Indian Subcontinent- A Field Guide.

To assist amateur bird watchers identify specific species of birds,the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has launched a book called Birds of the Indian Subcontinent- A Field Guide. The book is a revised edition of ornithologist Salim Ali and S Dillon Ripleys book A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent.

The book is co-authored by J C Daniel (83),Ranjit Manakadan (54) and Nikhil Bhopale (27),representing three generations of expertise in birds at BNHS. The revised edition contains colourful illustrations,coloured photos and text about 1,251 species of birds from all over the subcontinent.

The significant features of this book as compared to the previous edition are that it contains both old and new names of birds to avoid confusion and it provides species description to aid field identification where pictorial representation is not enough. Additionally,it contains detailed notes about 100 other species found in the subcontinent.

This book is an expression of interest in nature which any amateur can cultivate, said Daniel,who started bird watching in1950 with Ali. Manakadan hopes bird lovers,especially youngsters,will benefit from this guide. This book will give them the joy of bird watching and I hope this sparks their interest in nature conservation, he said. Pheroza Godrej,a former vice-president of BNHS,who unveiled the book,echoed the same sentiments,saying,

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram