A field guide for birdwatchers, any recommendations?

Sonomama

Planning for my travel around South India in Feb, I realized I don't have any field guides for birdwatching. I've searched the Internet and found one called "Pocket Guide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent", but its price (about $40) is higher than I expected. Does anyone have a recommendation or suggestion about field guides a little bit cheaper than this? Or can I buy the same book at a less price in India?

I'm not a die-hard birdwatcher with those long camera lenses which look like bazookas from a distance. I just love birds and carry binoculars with me whenever I travel to take a look at some birds quite common to local people but extraordinary to us, foreigners. So I don't need a comprehensive guide, just a small pocket book would be fine. Any suggestions?

seventies'hippy

Alan D mentions a book on this thread Here

mr pastry

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...643178-1975826

We took this book on our recent trip to India and found it very useful. We positively identified over 40 different species on our travels through central and western India and that was without going to any sanctuaries. The most stunning was the "Flameback" woodpecker at Benaulim. In addition to the book, a pair of small lightweight binoculars are a must (You'll be o.k. as you always carry them anyway).

Alan D

"Pocket guide to the birds of the Indian Subcontinent" by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp published by Oxford University Press (India)

If you only want to carry one bird book then I think that's the one to have. It has excellent plates of all the species found in India, and distribution maps. When I bought my last copy a couple of years ago ( I had previously given two copies away) it cost 695 rupees from a shop in Delhi. It might be a little more now but still well under the $40 price you mentioned.

I just weighed the book and it's about 650 grams - is that light enough?

What's your point of entry into India? You will need to check that it's still available and in stock as I'm not sure about this.

Digital Drifter

I think you should look up Dr. Salim Ali's books to read up & buy. They're cheap and authoritative works of a man with 40+ years of birdwatching in India. He practically setup the whole shebang stuff of the science in India.

The Book of Indian Birds
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...417028-8374048

Indian Hill Birds
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...417028-8374048

The Fall of a Sparrow
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...417028-8374048

Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan: Together with Those of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Ceylon: Megapodes to Crab Plover Vol 2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...417028-8374048

The bombay natural history society will have more details....
http://www.bnhs.org/

Alan D

I have most of Dr Salim Ali's books and met him in Bharatpur where he was running a ringing project in the early 70's.

His books are a joy to read, and for the text alone are a must for anyone interested in Indian bird watching. I used them for years but unfortunately the illustrations are not of the same quality as the text.

The book which I have mentioned above has got up to date distribution maps and excellent illustrations and is now used by most foreign birdwatchers to India.

Edit
Cross posted

I'm sure one of the Bangalore members wouldn't mind checking up for you what is available there.

Apana

A Field Guide to the Birds of India by Krys Kazmierczak and A Birdwatcher's Field Guide to India by Kazmierczak and Raj Singh. The nomenclature followed is the that of Inskipp et al. All of these will be available at Gangarams on MG Road.

Apana