Of Birds and Birdsong

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India is home to over a thousand species of birds ranging from glittering sunbirds, peacocks and pheasants through to unassuming inhabitants of town and countryside like crows, sparrows and pigeons to those that are rare and threatened like the Indian Bustard. In this book, many of them are brought to vivid life by one of the countrys greatest naturalists and nature writers. M. Krishnans prose is studded with evocative descriptions of nature, literary allusions, stylistic flourishes, humour, and most rewardingly, precise observations and original insights into over a hundred species of birds in a variety of habitats. This is a work that will delight bird lovers of every stripe. As Zafar Futehally, one of the countrys best known ornithologists, says in his fore, Every piece in this collection has something even for the seasoned naturalist, and even his description of common events holds your interest because of the writing.

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As a naturalist, M. Krishnan (1912-1996) had few peers. A brilliant writer andphotographer his writing was showcased to fine effect in a newspaper column called Country Notebook that appeared continuously in the Sunday Statesman for forty-six years. Although two posthumous books that feature his photos and writing have been published Natures Spokesman edited by Ramachandra Guha and Eye in the Jungle edited by Ashish and Shanthi Chandola with T.N.A. Perumal- Of Birds and Birdsong is the first collection of Krishnans pieces to focus exclusively on birds. Krishnan was awarded the Padma Shri in 1970. Shanthi and Ashish Chandola are well-known wildlife cinematographers, writers and photographers. This is the second collection of Krishnans writing that they have edited.