India Guides - Wild Life

Wildlife Overview | Bishnoi Community | Lakshadweep | Threat to Rhinos in Assam | A Trip to Bandhavgarh |
 Wildlife & Bird Sanctuatries - Major Wild life Sanctuaries and National Parks | Wandoor National Park | Bandhavgarh | Bandipur | Corbett | Desert National Park | Dudhwa | Gir | Kanha | Kaziranga | Mudumalai | Nagarhole | Panna | Periyar | Ranthambore | Sunderbans | Sariska | Bird Sanctuaries | Bharatpur

Wildlife Overview - Bird Sanctuaries

by Anil Benipuri

Birds - An Overview                                                          

Today the number of species of birds on this planet is usually estimated to be about 8,650, give or take a few score. The total number of extinct species described from fossil evidence is in the neighbourhood of 800, less than 10 percent of the living species.

India - a vast subcontinent - nearly two-thirds the size of Europe with geographical features ranging from deserts to high mountains, plains, tropical forests, an extensive coastline and various variations in between offers suitable living conditions to a great variety of birds. India thus offers unparalleled opportunities for watching a large number of species of birds in their natural habitat.

Of all the higher forms of life, birds are the most beautiful, most admired, most studied and most defended. Most people have felt a thrill of exhilaration at the sight of a bird soaring or swooping in the freedom of the skies and no other group of animals has proved such a source of inspiration to poets, composers and artists. Birds have a magical quality about them: their colour and form, movement and buoyancy of flight and sweetness of songs can keep one spellbound. Bird watching affords plenty of thrills to its adherents. 

Bird watching affords many pleasures. It is not only a means of learning about birds but also provides one with an insight into the natural world as a whole.

Where does one look for birds?
The uninitiated birder and the new arrivals in the country would do well to remember a few tips on where and when to look for birds. Early mornings are a great time to watch birds as their activities are at a peak. Banyan and peepul trees when laden with fruit attract a large number of birds of different species. Flowering trees like the Flame of the Forest, Silk Cotton and Coral Flower trees in bloom are another good place to watch birds. North India in winter can provide for very exciting viewing with multitudes of waterfowls rising almost vertically from the cold mirror-like surface of jheels emanating misty vapours giving an almost surreal atmosphere to the whole drama.

Attire for Bird watching
Unlike occasions when one has to make an impression on the birds of the two legged featherless variety (life would be pretty dull without them)- to watch the avian inhabitants of this enchanting land nothing more than a pair of walking shoes and a pair of binoculars is required. It is best to wear clothes of subdued colours and make use of cover such as bushes, trees, rocks and banks in order to merge with the surroundings and not disturb the birds.

National Parks and Sanctuaries
These are amongst the best places to indulge in a spot of birding, as it is here that the natural habitat conducive to bird life has not been subject to man’s predation. There are a large number of these across the length and breadth of India. The Keoladeo Ghana Sanctuary at Bharatpur is undoubtedly the Mecca for all bird enthusiasts. The place acquires a unique ambience in the winter months when thousands of migratory birds from the northern latitudes throng the place.   

Books on Birds of the Indian Region

There exists a large body of works on the birds of this region. However there are some books, which provide enough information to satisfy almost all but the most scholastic of bird enthusiast. The Book of Indian Birds by Dr Salim Ali is one of the earliest and most popular books of its kind. However the most definitive work the ‘mother of all bird books’ is The Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan written by Salim Ali and S Dillon Ripley published in 10 volumes and now available in one volume covering all birds in South Asia with plates, illustrations and maps. Birds of India, an excellent piece of compilation by Bikram Grewal is a photographic guide of not only the birds of India but also Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Collins Handguide to the Birds of the Indian Sub-Continent is a very basic but fairly adequate book that would meet the needs of most visitors dabbling in ornithological pursuits for the first time.