The song of birds

Among the many things Delhi-based Mehran Zaidi enjoys doing is birdwatching. He is a birder. And a keen one at that. The proof? His two books on birds. The author of Bird By Bird (Scholastic India, 2006), a young ornithology enthusiast like none other, recently came out with his second book Birds and Butterflies of Delhi: A Field Guide.

The book, a veritable treat for the bird (and nature) lovers, equips you with everything you need to know about the types of birds (water and non-water, resident as well as migratory) and butterflies that lend our city its birdsong and colour.

“I have been into wildlife since childhood. My uncle is a birdwatcher and when I was a kid, he used to take me out for bird walks. So, gradually the interest grew,” says Zaidi about his passion. If your love for birds and butterflies is new-found, you can count on Zaidi for a tip or two. He tells you about the birdwatching e-group on Yahoo, Delhibird, whose members go out for bird walks every weekend and also conduct talks etc.

Out of the many names that figure in the book, Zaidi’s own favourites include the golden oriole and the sarus crane among birds and the peacock pansy and the common castor among butterflies.

Full report here Asian Age