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The Bottom Line

India and its neighbors are rich in avifauna, and A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India can help birders become familiar with the region's species for proper identification for the more than 650 species covered in this compact volume. While some of the photos can be distractingly poor, the information included with each species is invaluable for proper identification. A collaborative effort of three regional bird specialists, A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India is a solid addition to any birder's field guide library.

Pros

• Entries for each species are well organized and easy to read, including abundance and threatened codes many field guides omit.
• Compact size for the sheer volume of information and number of species covered.
• Extensive introduction includes regional information as well as tips for effective use of the field guide.

Cons

• Photo quality varies widely with some photos too distant or blurred for effective use, though the most problematic photos are those for the rarest species that casual birders may not encounter.
• While it includes an impressive 668 bird species, this is still only half of the more than 1,300 bird species known to occur in the geographic region the book claims to cover.

Description

• Title: A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India and the Indian Subcontinent, Including Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & the Maldives
• Authors: Bikram Grewal, Bill Harvey and Otto Pfister
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: January 2003
• Format: Softcover
• Bird Artwork: Photographs

• Dimensions: 7.5" (19.0 cm) tall, 5" (12.7 cm) wide, 1.1" (2.8 cm) thick
• Page Count: 512
• ISBN: 978-0-691-11496-5
• Price: $39.95

Review - A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India

The exotic birds of India entice many birders, and a proper field guide is essential for birding in this avian-rich region. A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India and the Indian Subcontinent, Including Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & the Maldives can be an adequate field guide but will come up short for an extensive birding trip or for birders interested in finding the region's rarest birds.

Birders who have never visited India will appreciate the guide's extensive 35-page introduction, though it could be organized into more concise sections for easier reading. Not only are notes included for how to best enjoy birdwatching, but the introduction includes information about the region's ornithological and birding history, regional conservation threats, primary habitats, climate and more. Eight pages of the introduction help explain the book's layout and how to use the guide appropriately, including a labeled photo of parts of a bird and details about the abundance and threatened icons used with each species description.

While this guide does cover 668 unique species, there are more than 1,300 species recorded in the region, making this guide less comprehensive for unusual sightings, vagrants or rarities. As a photographic guide it can also be disappointing, and the photo quality varies strongly. Some species are illustrated with close, detailed photos that give breathtaking views of the birds, while other species descriptions are associated with distant, poor quality photos that fail to show even the most prominent field marks necessary for a confident identification. In general, however, the worst photos are also for rare or endangered birds that are less likely to be encountered by casual birders, and this guide is adequate as a first reference to India's outstanding bird life.

Each species account is accompanied by 1-2 photos, but the text descriptions add considerable detail that can be just as valuable for identifying the pictured species. Information included in the text includes:

• Latin and common bird names
• Voice descriptions
• Behavior habits for foraging, nesting, etc.
• Primary distribution

Range maps are also included with each species, and each account is well organized for easy reading. To find a species quickly, birders can consult one of the guide's two indexes – one for common names and one for scientific names.

After the species accounts, A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India includes a number of additional resources birders will find useful, such as a glossary of birding terms, an extensive bibliography and a list of local, regional and international birding organizations that can provide more information about the area's birds, such as the Oriental Bird Club, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and more specialized groups. Contact information is included with each listing.

India and its neighbors constitute a region rich in culture, history and nature, and birders visiting the area will certainly want a thorough field guide to consult along the way. A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India may not be the best guide choice for every birder's visit depending on their travel plans, listing goals and prior familiarity with the region's birds, but it is certainly a good choice for casual birders or beginners who hope to learn more about India's birds.



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.