"The Book that introduced a Prime Minister to the wonders of Indian birdlife" 💚💚💚

The Birdman of India | & His Lovable Book

#onhisbirthdaytoday

Salim Ali | 12 November

I know I’m a tad bit late to take to blogging tonight!

Just wrapped up on a rewarding time of discussions with Professors from UCSI University, Malaysia.

[Well, UCSI is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities and is often cited as Malaysia’s highest-ranked private university by the QS World University Rankings. They are quite keen on collaborating with us on a host of avenues]

The discussions got over by 10 pm and by 10.45 pm, reached home.

But then I remembered to do justice for the day today!

I had promised myself that –

1) I will do some little birding today, 😊 and... 

2) I will blog about the Bird Man of India – Salim Ali – today, on his birthday. 😊

Yes, I’ve got this rare treasure of Salim Ali’s with me, from which I badly wanted to share a few snippets, and on what makes this book so lovable and adorable, even decades after its first publication.

Indeed, Salim Ali’s The Book of Indian Birds is the first popular, accessible field guide to Indian birds, sparking a widespread interest in ornithology among the Indian public.

Published in 1941, it is the first bird book specifically meant for the average Indian lay person and amateur birdwatcher.

The book is considered a pioneering one by all means, and a landmark volume in Indian natural history and conservation.

Moreover, it introduced countless people, including key political figures like the former Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi, to the wonders of Indian birdlife, thus indirectly laying the groundwork for greater conservation awareness and policies later on by the government.

As such, me thought of giving a few snapshots from the book for us all -  

And guess what? All Salim Ali fans – as a mark of respect to the legend – have decided to mark their bird photos taken in November posted with the hashtag #birdnov2025