Birds of India: Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives (Second Edition) [Paperback]

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.

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.

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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