(January 14, 1935 – February 24, 2019)
A few days ago, an early morning call from a birding friend informed me that Martin Woodcock, the great bird artist and author had died. Though I never had the privilege of meeting him, he played a significant role in my birding life. When we were younger, the only guides available were those by the great birdman Sálim Ali, whose text was impeccable but the illustrations left much to be desired. So, in 1983, when Collins brought out the Birds of India, we were delighted. Despite covering only 545 birds, its illustrations were superbly painted by Hermann Heinzal and we could distinguish the subtle colour differences of specific birds.
This book set a trend for some excellent guidebooks that followed, notably Richard Grimmet, Tim and Carol Inskipps’s Birds of India, which is now a premier book for Indian birdwatchers. It also spawned several other books including photographic guides culminating in Pam Rasmussen’s iconic two-volume Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide.
Denne historien er fra April 2019-utgaven av Sanctuary Asia.
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Denne historien er fra April 2019-utgaven av Sanctuary Asia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Why Children Are Needed To Help Save The World
On my very first day in India, I encountered many marvelous new customs not practiced in the United States, my home country. But the most curious by far involved trees. Here and there, alongside the roaring streets of Mumbai were rings of marigold wreathed around twisting banyan trunks like dried rays of afternoon sunlight…
Who's Who?
Fact: all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads! Let’s unpack this...
The Sea Raptor
The White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster is one of the most common raptors along the Indian coastline. Nevertheless, the sight of this soaring, broad-winged, white and black bird of prey is nothing less than majestic
Bringing Up Bob Hoots.
While we were visiting a friend’s farm in the village of Yelachetty, near Bandipur Tiger Reserve, we found Spotted Owlets nesting on the tiled roof… and one of the chicks on the kitchen floor!
Yala, Land Of The Leopard
Yala is not only Sri Lanka’s second-largest, but also the most-visited national park in the island nation.
The Wizards Of Oz!
Australia is not only a country, but also a continent. The land down under, cut-off from the rest of the world has an abundance of unique species of native animals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants.
Scales & Tails
I was really excited and looking forward to the workshop on reptiles and amphibians at Nature’s Nest in Mollem, Goa, between June 24 and 26, 2017. It was my opportunity to meet renowned herpetologist Varad Giri.
Big, Brilliant And Endangered
When one thinks of elephants, the first word that probably comes to mind is BIG! But elephants, while they may be the largest creatures on land, are not just big and powerful, they’re wise and sensitive as well. Recent scientific studies have established that they are among the most intelligent animals in the world.
Earth Manners
Everyday habits matter! Let’s be kind to the planet, animals and ourselves!
World Scan
CHINA’S IVORY TOWNAn explosive investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency has revealed how criminal gangs originating from an obscure town in southern China have come to dominate the smuggling of ivory tusks poached from African elephants.
