Rishad Naoroji’s passion for raptors is known to most and the culmination of his efforts in studying birds of prey has materialised in the superb, seminal, Birds of Prey of the Indian Subcontinent, with illustrations by N John Schmitt. Clichés are useful because they are apt, and clichés help describe this book. This large 700-page book is truly a magnum opus, a defining work on Indian birds of prey. Certainly in my lifetime, no such monumental work of erudition and scholarship about nature in India has been published.
This is a large book and difficult to handle in the field, which is a pity because of the detailed plates. More on the plates later. The book begins with an introductory section which covers the classification, identification, and behavioural characteristics of birds of prey. This is followed by sections on raptors in Indian mythology, the biogeographical distribution of raptors, a section on locating, observing, and photographing raptors, and a section of conservation and management which takes a detailed look at the threat to India’s vultures. Then follow the species accounts which make for the bulk of the book.
This book is comprehensive. For instance, the species account of the Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) runs for 16 pages and includes a distribution map and 27 photographs showing plumage variations. And this merely supports the superb plates bySchmitt which shows 28 variations in plumage, a picture of which you can see below. There are a total of 15 plates. The plates omit easily identifiable birds like the Brahminy Kite and Black Kite. However, these birds are fully covered in the species accounts with several photographs. For instance the species account of the Brahminy Kite has several photographs showing the variation between the plumage of juveniles and adults. In future I shall be taking second looks at all Brahminy kites that I see. The book concludes with an excellent 49-page bibliography.
Birds of Prey of the Indian Subcontinent is an invaluable addition to the library of the serious wildlifer / birdwatcher. Priced at GBP 40.00 which is over Rs 3000, Gangarams in Bangalore has it at a special price of Rs 1800. (I have no commercial tie-up with Gangarams). Apana
