Birds of Many Feathers

Its main author, Pune-based radiologist and ornithologist Dr Satish Pande, a member of the Earth-Letters of Amity (ELA) nature conservation foundation, is excited about the final product. ‘‘Our experiences were just fantastic. We mainly relied on local people and their observations and then went ahead to authenticate it, and often ended up disproving claims published in earlier books. For instance, the Indian Pitta is supposed to breed in North Gujarat, but when locals sighted the bird in the Konkan, our team walked for miles in waist-deep muddy water to see the sight for ourselves,’’ Pande says. ‘‘Actually, the older books do not present an accurate picture of bird life today.’’

According to Pande, though the Western Ghats are an ecozone of global importance, the vast spectrum of birdlife and the area itself are under tremendous pressure from human interference. As many as 44 local bird species now feature in the Red Data Book in the critical, endangered, vulnerable and near-threatened categories.

Apart from presenting a more up-to-date picture of the bird world, the proposed book will focus on is the ecological and cultural significance of these rare bird species. The text mentions the vernacular, common, alternate and scientific names of birds and their families, as well as their current status, in a user-friendly format. It also details, with photographs, plumage variations with age, sexual dimorphism, flight, display and nesting.

While on the job, Pande and his co-authors — Saleel Tambe, Niranjan Sant and Clement Francis — approached bird-watchers in New Zealand, Australia and Sweden for their contributions. Pande particularly remembers 77-year-old Rev Eric Lott, who, in response to their appeal, sent them photographs of at least 20 rare bird species. ‘‘(Through this book) all we are doing is giving back to the people what they gave us,’’ he signs off.