Bhaskar Parichha
Even as Odisha has a rich forest cover and even richer flora and fauna, books have been hard to come by, barring a few sporadic attempts by leading publishers like Oxford University Press and institutions like Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Publications by the forest department of the Odisha Government have only limited appeal because they are routine in nature – a monograph here or a booklet there. ‘Birds of Odisha- A Pictorial Encyclopedia’ by Pramod Dhal and Gloria Dhal fills that big vacuum.
A wildlife photographer having an exacting interest in documenting the birdlife of Odisha, Pramod Dhal has also been a conservationist and dispersing awareness among the younger generation. Gloria Dhal having forayed into the world of birds at a very young age has been her father’s constant birding partner. The encyclopedia has been the result of relentless efforts and enthusiasm of the father-daughter duo, and rightly so. Basically, a book that intends to educate and create an understanding among people about the rich avifauna; it is an amazing compendium of the hundreds of species of birds that are seen in Odisha.
The encyclopedia encompasses a large number of photographs that have been taken by the author and his daughter who is the co-author of the book. What is interesting about the voluminous book is the twosome has rummaged through the natural habitats of birds across the state. The seriousness of the authors to compile a book on birds of their own state can be gauged from the fact that alongside the description there is an anecdote about each bird. They have also tried to make the encyclopedia user-friendly by placing the birds in the taxonomic order. Collated over a period of eight long years, this information bank has all the details about the birds.
Odisha has a rich avifauna and a dozen sanctuaries crisscrossing the state are home to a large number of birds – both migratory and indigenous. The world-famous Chilika Lake is the largest place for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. Nalbana Island is the core area of the Ramsar designated wetlands of Chilika Lake is one of the biodiversity hotspots in the country. Besides Chilika, Bhitarkanika National Park, Mangalajodi, Sunabeda, Similipal National Park and Chandaka-Dampada wildlife sanctuary are home to countless species of birds. The book has tried to enumerate the birds of almost all these sanctuaries.
Divided into eight chapters, the book has a list of threatened birds, a glossary and a checklist. Undoubtedly, it is the definitive single-volume guide to birds of Odisha. Entries give a systematic account of every family, covering their form and function, distribution, diet, social behaviour, and breeding biology. Special attention is given to environmental and conservation issues.
As the author writes in the introduction, ‘the primary purpose of this book is to provide an insight into the rich variety of avifauna that Odisha is proud to possess but unfortunately not so well known or publicized so far.’ Recollecting his childhood memories and how he evinced interest in the study of birds, Dhal says that the unfamiliarity about birds among commoners and the importance of birds in our ecosystem propelled him to put his hands on this visual dictionary.
For the growing numbers of bird lovers, bird watchers, photographers, and students of natural science, wildlife professionals and conservationists this complete and solitary source of information on birds of Odisha is quite useful.
Richly illustrated with an immaculate layout and photo-arrangement by the ace designer Biswal Sudhakar (this has been the most satisfying and challenging work in his three-decade-long career according to Biswal), ‘Birds of Odisha’ will go a long way in creating interest among people about Odisha’s avifauna. For wildlife enthusiasts as well as those who love photographing the wildlife and even the average reader with a fragment of interest in the environment, this book is an indispensable collection. The 720-page book contains detailed information about scientific, local, biological names and the natural habitat of around 316 species of birds found in Odisha. It features around 1,800 photographs of those avian species.
For the growing numbers of bird lovers, bird watchers, photographers, and students of natural science, wildlife professionals and conservationists this complete and solitary source of information on birds of Odisha is quite useful.
The authors must be congratulated for the breathtaking work they have done in bringing out this first-of-its-kind bird encyclopedia of Odisha.
Birds of Odisha- A Pictorial Encyclopedia
Pramod Dhal and Gloria Dhal
Dhara Shreeradha Trust
Bhubaneswar
Rs 2900
