- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Princeton University Press (8 Nov 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0691049106
- ISBN-13: 978-0691049106
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.5 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,555,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
This book is the field guide for the birds of the Indian Subcontinent?. Most highly recommended. -- "Wildlife Activist
Exactly what was needed?. The authors have done a wonderful job of balancing the needs of information and space. -- "Bird Watcher's Digest
Achieve[s] the high standards one expects from Princeton University Press field guides. Excellent for casual bird enthusiasts and serious birders making short visits to the regions covered. -- "Condor
The amazing variety of colorful species represented in this field guide are a feast for the mind and the eye, even if one is not planning on boarding the next plane for a birding trip to the subcontinent. -- Dorothy Borders, Backyard Birder
A guide to India has a lot of ground to cover, and with a growing cadre of local birders as part of an increasing middle class in the country, it's as apt to be used as extensively by Indians as by visitors to India, which makes it doubly important that it's right. . . . Both local and visiting birders have a lot to look forward to in this guide, but you'd expect nothing less from Princeton University Press. There are only a few options for those wishing to bird India, they're certainly fortunate that the one that's available is of such uniformly high quality. -- Nate Swick, Drinking Bird
The quality of the color plates and the amount of detailed information packed into this relatively compact field guide make this a top title for anyone interested in birds of the Indian Subcontinent and a must for any birder traveling to the region. I give Birds of India 4.5 Goldfinches out of 5. -- Amy Evenstad, Magnificent Frigatebird
I would recommend Birds of India: Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives for any birders who live in or will be traveling to visit India or one of its neighbors. -- John Beetham, A DC Birding Blog
Without a doubt, this user-friendly guide is a must for anyone heading to the Indian subcontinent or for those who simply want to add another remarkable field guide to their library. My next backpacking trip will hopefully be the Indian subcontinent and the Birds of India will certainly be the first item packed. -- Ethan Kistler, Nomadic Birder
What a beautiful book. Since I was a child, reading Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, I have wanted to go to India. I haven't made it yet, but if I ever get to go, this book will be in my suitcase, even if something else has to be left out. -- Penny Miller, A Charm of Finches
Even if you have the first edition of the Birds of India: Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, you will benefit enormously from this second edition. . . . Comprehensive and authoritative, this is an indispensable guide for anyone birding anywhere in the Indian Subcontinent. -- Frank Lambert, Birder's Library
This latest book on the birds of India becomes the one to own and the one use in the field, and although no one will find themselves alone in India, I can heartily recommend Birds Of India as a worthy companion for any birder planning to visit there, or indeed any part of the Indian subcontinent. It will also follow someone around by fitting into a rucksack or a large pocket. -- "Another Bird Blog
The best field guide to the birds of the Indian subcontinent is now even better. . . . I thoroughly recommend this and can't wait to get back to the sub-continent for it to help me fill some gaps in my lists! -- "Fatbirder --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Exactly what was needed?. The authors have done a wonderful job of balancing the needs of information and space. -- "Bird Watcher's Digest
Achieve[s] the high standards one expects from Princeton University Press field guides. Excellent for casual bird enthusiasts and serious birders making short visits to the regions covered. -- "Condor
The amazing variety of colorful species represented in this field guide are a feast for the mind and the eye, even if one is not planning on boarding the next plane for a birding trip to the subcontinent. -- Dorothy Borders, Backyard Birder
A guide to India has a lot of ground to cover, and with a growing cadre of local birders as part of an increasing middle class in the country, it's as apt to be used as extensively by Indians as by visitors to India, which makes it doubly important that it's right. . . . Both local and visiting birders have a lot to look forward to in this guide, but you'd expect nothing less from Princeton University Press. There are only a few options for those wishing to bird India, they're certainly fortunate that the one that's available is of such uniformly high quality. -- Nate Swick, Drinking Bird
The quality of the color plates and the amount of detailed information packed into this relatively compact field guide make this a top title for anyone interested in birds of the Indian Subcontinent and a must for any birder traveling to the region. I give Birds of India 4.5 Goldfinches out of 5. -- Amy Evenstad, Magnificent Frigatebird
I would recommend Birds of India: Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives for any birders who live in or will be traveling to visit India or one of its neighbors. -- John Beetham, A DC Birding Blog
Without a doubt, this user-friendly guide is a must for anyone heading to the Indian subcontinent or for those who simply want to add another remarkable field guide to their library. My next backpacking trip will hopefully be the Indian subcontinent and the Birds of India will certainly be the first item packed. -- Ethan Kistler, Nomadic Birder
What a beautiful book. Since I was a child, reading Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, I have wanted to go to India. I haven't made it yet, but if I ever get to go, this book will be in my suitcase, even if something else has to be left out. -- Penny Miller, A Charm of Finches
Even if you have the first edition of the Birds of India: Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, you will benefit enormously from this second edition. . . . Comprehensive and authoritative, this is an indispensable guide for anyone birding anywhere in the Indian Subcontinent. -- Frank Lambert, Birder's Library
This latest book on the birds of India becomes the one to own and the one use in the field, and although no one will find themselves alone in India, I can heartily recommend Birds Of India as a worthy companion for any birder planning to visit there, or indeed any part of the Indian subcontinent. It will also follow someone around by fitting into a rucksack or a large pocket. -- "Another Bird Blog
The best field guide to the birds of the Indian subcontinent is now even better. . . . I thoroughly recommend this and can't wait to get back to the sub-continent for it to help me fill some gaps in my lists! -- "Fatbirder --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
From the snowcapped Himalayas and the Indus valley, to the Ganges delta and the Sri Lankan forests, the Indian subcontinent is home to 13% of the world's species of birds and thousands of birders and ecotourists flock to the area every year. This field guide will be indispensable to those who wish to find and identify the many species of avifauna of the Indian subcontinent and environs.
Featuring more than 150 color plates by eminent bird illustrators from Europe and India, it depicts all the known species in the region, ranging from the Himalayan Snowcock in the north to the Sri Lanka Spurfowl in the south. The plates include all relevant identifiable subspecies, as well as ages and sexes. It contains hundreds of range maps and the succinct text on the facing pages covers identification, voice, and distribution. Specially designed for use in the field, it is a compact version of the landmark A Guide to the Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, hailed on its publication as a "stunning book" that "advanced the cause of Indian birding by 20-30 years." With its modest price, small trim size, and sturdy, weather-resistant binding, this field guide is the one volume that every adventurous traveler to the Indian subcontinent must have.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The geographical area covered by this book is huge, for it deals with species that can be seen from Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan in the north to the Maldives and Anderman Islands in the south, with everywhere in between. It deals with almost 1300 different birds, that are illustrated on no less than 153 full page coloured plates. In general, a visitor to the subcontinent will travel through a relatively limited area and will not visit all the places covered by the book and that creates a problem. When used in the field a lot of time is spent searching through the huge number of illustrations to find the bird one wishes to identify. If one is, say, in Madhya Pradesh, it is pointless to hunt through all the species that only live in the mountains or near the coasts, but there is no alternative. The little maps are helpful here and a trick that I used was to mark the birds that, according to the maps, are likely to be in the area, thereby creating the equivalent of a short cut. That more or less works, but not all the birds I saw had consulted the maps, so this system is not perfect. There are problems with taxonomy. This book follows Sibley and Monroe's system, as does Clements Birds of the World check list, but local Indian ornithologists often use there own names. Porphyrio porphyrio is called the Purple Gallinule locally, but it is really the Purple Swamphen. That business can drive you mad and there is no easy answer. However, things would be made easier if the illustrations were accurate, then the purple whatever could be easily found. Unfortunately the colour printing is not terribly accurate for some species and that isn't acceptable. If this book goes to another edition, then the problem with colours must be sorted out. Just in case this review is read by someone who has this book or by the authors or publishers, then do have a look at poor old Porphyrio porphyrio - he isn't really right. Thus, this book is a laudable attempt to comprehensively cover a huge area, and it does that well, but it is hard to use and it is let down by the colour printing. It is very reasonably priced and it is far more comprehensive than the Collins book (in which the colour printing is better) so it is well worth buying. Using it is a bit tough going, but worth the effort if the problems mentioned earlier are acknowledged.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
56 of 56 people found the following review helpful
At long last...
12 April 2000
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
UPDATED REVIEW OF THE SECOND EDITION: I just received the second edition of "Birds of India..." and am delighted to say that I can now happily update my (four star) review of the first edition to five stars! All of the deficiencies I noted for the first edition have been addressed and corrected in the second; excellent, updated range maps now appear next to the species accounts- no more searching around to find them. The authors have added alternative English bird names where appropriate, which is perhaps less important now that the newer names have been established and in use for awhile. More importantly, the text and plates have been updated and many new species added based on recent taxonomic changes, as well as ornithological field work. The book has grown considerably in size however (528 pages vs. 384 for the first edition), and is significantly heavier. I'm not sure if it can really be called a "field guide" at this point- I for one do not relish the idea of carrying it for hours on jungle paths along with my photo gear, water bottles, etc. Perhaps the size and weight is simply the price to be paid for comprehensive coverage of India birds, but I would also like to see a true, smaller FIELD guide published that would be compact enough and light enough to put in a pack or vest, and better comply with international airline weight restrictions. Be that as it may, the second edition of this outstanding India bird guide is a great achievement and highly recommended, and a must for anyone with an interest in the birds of the Indian subcontinent!
REVIEW OF THE FIRST EDITION: Finally, a complete, comprehensive field guide to the birds of India! Gone are the days of hauling 2 or 3 hardcover bird books to the subcontinent just to be able to identify relatively common species. The drawings in this book are excellent, the descriptions very detailed, and the range maps very helpful. My two criticisms are that birders familiar with the common names in Salim Ali's "The Book of Indian Birds" will be confused with the revised nomenclature in this guide (based on the Inskipp's Indian Checklist); some changes are relatively minor, while others are so dramatically different (and frankly puzzling) that cross-referencing is a chore. The second involves the separation of many of the range maps from the plates and descriptions, sometimes by many pages. This was due to the large number of species featured on some plates- there just wasn't enough room for the maps also. A better strategy might have been to put them all in the back of the book. But the benefits of this book far outweigh the shortcomings- my next trip to India promises to be more rewarding and productive bird-wise (as well as easier on my back)due to this excellent and overdue field guide.
REVIEW OF THE FIRST EDITION: Finally, a complete, comprehensive field guide to the birds of India! Gone are the days of hauling 2 or 3 hardcover bird books to the subcontinent just to be able to identify relatively common species. The drawings in this book are excellent, the descriptions very detailed, and the range maps very helpful. My two criticisms are that birders familiar with the common names in Salim Ali's "The Book of Indian Birds" will be confused with the revised nomenclature in this guide (based on the Inskipp's Indian Checklist); some changes are relatively minor, while others are so dramatically different (and frankly puzzling) that cross-referencing is a chore. The second involves the separation of many of the range maps from the plates and descriptions, sometimes by many pages. This was due to the large number of species featured on some plates- there just wasn't enough room for the maps also. A better strategy might have been to put them all in the back of the book. But the benefits of this book far outweigh the shortcomings- my next trip to India promises to be more rewarding and productive bird-wise (as well as easier on my back)due to this excellent and overdue field guide.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
The birder's companion to India
13 April 2005
Format:Paperback
Going to India? BUY THIS BOOK. Truly a definitive guide to the birds of India, absolutely user-friendly in the field. Accurate slates and distribution diagrams will help you determine, very briskly, the bird you are looking at. This is important in India because there are tons of birds. Morphological and behavioural characteristics are also defined in this intense field guide. Importantly, this is easy to access, it doesn't make you bounce back and forth 3 times from the slate. Pointers on the slate also help you to quickly make distinctions between similar birds. This field guide makes birding fun and an ease. Colourful slates, smart layout, if only all field guides could be this good.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Only book we needed
8 Mar 2006
Format:Paperback
We bought a second reference because it's hard to know which plates will help amateurs like us identify the species in a place we've not previously visited. However, with the plates, the maps, and the generally brief, but accurate descriptions, this was the only book we needed to quickly identify the over 100 species we spotted on our trip. The soft cover made it easier to stuff into one of our binocular bags.
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