Compact Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan: Together with Those of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka

Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan

by Sálim Ali, S. Dillon Ripley

The Handbook is an indispensable reference for all serious students of ornithology. It was first published in ten volumes between 1968 and 1975. When the first Compact Edition appeared in 1983, it included texts of the second editions of Volumes I-III, and the first editions of Volumes IV-X.
This new edition of the Compact Edition contains the completely revised text of Volumes I-IV in a more useable, photographically reduced form. Over one hundred color plates of all bird species found in the region embellish the text. "A monumental and masterful analysis of the avifauna of the
Indian subcontinent....The Handbook will remain the standard reference...for many decades."-- The Auk

884 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 1984

About the author

Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali (12 November 1896 – 20 June 1987) was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Sometimes referred to as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and wrote several bird books that popularised ornithology in India. He became a key figure behind the Bombay Natural History Society after 1947 and used his personal influence to garner government support for the organisation, create the Bharatpur bird sanctuary (Keoladeo National Park) and prevent the destruction of what is now the Silent Valley National Park. Along with Sidney Dillon Ripley he wrote the landmark ten volume Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, a second edition of which was completed after his death. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1976, India's third and second highest civilian honours respectively. Several species of birds, a couple of bird sanctuaries and institutions have been named after him.