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Avian adventure
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Abdul Jamil Urfi's book "Birds Beyond Watching" gives comprehensive information on the subject
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A pair of ibises in their sylvan abode
THERE ARE two types of birdwatchers. Type one: For the most part, their avian interest does not extend beyond watching paper birds — those splashed on glossy field guides. When the fancy takes them, they go on a date with the winged creatures. And they always depend on props such as field guides and related literature which tell them how and where to look for birds and also define those that they have seen. Type two: They are avid birdwatchers who can be caught everyday tiptoeing behind bushes with their binoculars. Their enthusiasm for stalking birds is accompanied by a deep concern for degrading bird habitats. And they also try to create an environment that fosters bird life. These birdwatchers have attained a knowledge of birds that enables them to relinquish an undue dependence on bird identification guides, but they are attracted to books that delineate the environmental problems that plague bird watching.
Book for bird-lovers
Recently at a get-together for birdwatchers organised by Nature Quest at Bookpoint, ornithologist Santharam took the gilded covers off the over-200 page "Birds Beyond Watching", a book that is meant to be on the book-shelves of both types of birdwatchers. The author, Abdul Jamil Urfi, has given the book a structure that takes the reader from the lower rungs of bird watching to the highest.
Answering the four Ws and one H — where, when, why, what and how — of bird-watching, the first part of the book, comprising four chapters, is unquestionably for the neophyte. These chapters give out details on observation methods, bird watching gear, bird habitats, bird names and their classification.
Scientific tenor
With the fifth chapter the book graduates from milk to solid food. The book takes on a scientific and an activist tenor as it grapples with questions like foolproof methods of taking a bird census, nesting and breeding habits of birds, how to build your own nests, understanding migration and conservation and action (with a focus on the Indian subcontinent). Much before he wrote any of these serious chapters, Urfi penned an apologetics for them.
"Watching birds in the field and learning to identify them correctly by their names is an important first step in enjoying birds. Admittedly, some birdwatchers, in their pursuit of rare birds, can carry this process to an extreme and watching them in action one gets the impression sometimes that identifying birds is all there is to bird-watching... Bird-watching along with an appreciation of basic ecological and evolutionary processes and a concern for deterioration in habitat quality, can make field outings more purposeful, thrilling and enjoyable."
PRINCE FREDERICK
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