Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives [Paperback]

Richard Grimmett (Author), Carol Inskipp (Author), Tim Inskipp (Author)

Book Description

Series: Princeton Field Guides | Publication Date: November 8, 1999

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.

Editorial Reviews

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 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Richard Grimmett was an artist for A Guide to the Birds of Nepal and founding chairman of the Oriental Bird Club. He coauthored BirdLife's Important Bird Areas of Europe. Carol Inskipp is the coauthor (with Tim Inskipp) of A Guide to the Birds of Nepal and An Introduction to Birdwatching in Bhutan and author of A Birdwatcher's Guide to Nepal. In addition to cowriting two books with Carol Inskipp, Tim Inskipp is the coauthor of An Annotated Checklist of the Birds of the Oriental Region.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (November 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691049106
• ISBN-13: 978-0691049106
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #409,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > History > Asia > Bhutan
  • #8 in Books > History > Asia > Bangladesh
  • #12 in Books > History > Asia > Sri Lanka

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At long last..., April 11, 2000

By 

Tom Kogut (Packwood, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives (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.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The birder's companion to India, April 13, 2005

By 

Debby Ng (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives (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:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only book we needed, March 7, 2006

By 

Gary Miller "siburrgary" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives (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.