Book Reviews

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Selected reviews of
Books on Indian Birds
by Sumit Sen
 

 

This section reviews popular books connected with birds and birding in and around India. The review is limited to books I possess or have access to. Most of the books reviewed are easily available from the internet though some of them will only be with specialist re-sellers. ^'s are used for rating on a scale of 0-5 with 5^'s being the highest. The ratings reflect my personal unbiased opinion about the overall usefulness of the book and considers information quality, relevance and illustration/image quality amongst other things. It should not be considered to be a scientific review of relative merits ~ Sumit K Sen

	Details	Remarks
	The Book of Indian Birds ~ Salim Ali 13th revised edition.  BNHS, 2002 Hardcover 326 p., 64 colour plates depicting 538 species. ISBN: 0-19-566523-6	The perfect beginners book, it describes and illustrates 538 common species. Illustrations are  by Carl D'silva. Additional text for the new edition has been taken from Dr Ali's field notes and edited by J C Daniel. While by no means a field guide or a reference book, the strength of this book lies in the descriptive text which gives meaning to birds and  bird watching in India.
	Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan: Vol 1-10  ~ Salim Ali, S. Dillon Ripley OUP India, 2002 Hardcover 3121 p.,  ISBN: 0195655060	This ten-volume series is the definitive work in this area and includes information on taxonomic treatment along with life history information, accounts of behaviour, ecology, distribution and migration records of  birds of the Indian subcontinent. Intended for general readers as well as ornithologists, it is the main reference book available for Indian birds. First published in 1968-1975.
	Popular Handbook of Indian Birds ~ Hugh Whistler Gurney And Jackson, 1928 1963 fourth reprint Hardback	This is my 1st Indian bird book and it has lost nothing with the passage of time. Hugh Whistler knew his Indian birds well and is particularly happy in his descriptions of their habits.
	Birds of the Indian Subcontinent ~ R. Grimmett, C. Inskipp & T. Inskipp OUP Delhi, 1999  Hardcover 888 p., 150 Colour plates, maps ISBN 0-19-564907-9	A comprehensive identification guide to the 1,300 species found in India and the subcontinent. The book has a  detailed identification section, descriptions of calls, habits, habitat, breeding, distribution and status. Also has distribution maps for all species. The illustrations are amongst the best available. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow "An annotated Checklist of the Birds of the Oriental Region" and the sequence is per Sibley - Monroe. Extremely bulky and not the most accurate reference book.
	Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent ~ R. Grimmett, C. Inskipp & T. Inskipp OUP New Delhi, 1999 Paperback 384 p., Illus, maps ISBN 019565155-3	This is a field version of the "Birds of the Indian Subcontinent" and covers the bird species found in India and the subcontinent. 153 colour plates illustrate 1300 species. Some juvenile plumage and sub-species differences are illustrated. The accompanying text summarizes key identification features and indicates habitat. Vocalization is poorly described and the accompanying maps are hard to locate, and at times inaccurate.
	A Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent ~ K. Kazmierczak &  B. van Perlo Yale University Press, 2000 Hardcover: 352 p., Illus, maps ISBN: 0300079214	A compact Field Guide to 1,335 species with 96 color plates with filed identification, habitat, voice, range, and status information. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow "An annotated Checklist of the Birds of the Oriental Region" but the sequence follows the Peters-based systematic order. The distribution maps are a highlight, as are small touches like including alternative names in the index. Includes description of calls. All members of a family are included in a plate wherever possible, aiding identification.
	Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide; ~ Pamela C. Rasmussen & John C Anderton Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions, 2005. Hardcover. Vol 1& 2 ISBN: 84-87334-67-9	Vol 1 is a Field Guide, while Vol 2 contains details of attributes and status. Covers over 1441 species from the subcontinent and adjoining areas. The Field Guide is 378 pages and contains accurate illustrations backed by scientific maps. Vol 2 (683 pages) contains vocalization and taxonomic details. The book proposes many new splits as full species. The text in Vol1 is often too tiny to read and distribution information is record based rather than field based. Overall, a must have book for the serious birdwatcher.
	A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India ~ B. Grewal, B. Harvey & O. Pfister  Periplus 2002 Paperback 512 pages,  800 species, 1000 images.  ISBN: 0-7946-0028-X	This photographic guide covers 800 species found in the Indian Subcontinent. Each species description is illustrated with one or more photographs. Introductory sections contain general information of use to visiting birders, such as the biogeography of the region covered, advice on timing of visits, and a brief gazetteer. An useful companion to the field guides.
	A Field Guide to the Birds of South-east Asia ~ Craig Robson  New Holland 2000 Paperback 504 pages, 1251 species in 104 plates ISBN: 1 84330 118 0	A comprehensive identification guide covering south-east Asia from Myanmar to Vietnam. 104 color plates depict all species and the majority of distinctive subspecies of the region. The text provides details on identification and covers voice, habitat, behavior, range, status, and breeding. Although the area covered is outside the Indian subcontinent many birds are common and this book is an useful reference, specially in the eastern parts of the country.