If you wish to be a birdwatcher...

Is bird watching a hobby or upcoming passion of yours? Do you see yourself studying and admiring birds? Do you wish to indulge in bird photography? If the answer to any of the above questions is ‘YES’, then you are bang in the middle of the birding lane. And, if you have not already, you might want to pick up a bird book that helps you identify and understand the behaviour of the birds that you come across.


There are quite a few bird books available in the market, but the one that is really helpful to both the amateur and professional birder is the ‘Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent’ by R Grimmett, C Inskipp and T Inskipp. This book is a field guide that covers the species found in India and the subcontinent. 153 colour plates illustrate 1300 species including some juvenile plumage and sub-species differences. The accompanying text summarizes key identification features and indicates habitat. The other book that I also recommend is ‘The Book of Indian Birds’ by Salim Ali. This is the perfect beginner’s book and its strength lies in its descriptive text, which gives meaning to birds and bird watching in India. In addition, there are several other books that are location specific like Western Ghats, North India, South India, North East India, etc. These books can be purchased if in-depth details are sought.

Note: I have personally used both the above mentioned books from the time I began birding and still use them religiously for all my birding expeditions.