Each Little Bird That Sings: Discover India’s Birds and Their Myths and Legends
By Jayantika Davé
Rupa Publications, 260 pages, Rs 495

Birds are everywhere. In cities, not so many, but when we visit a park or any natural setting, there they are. There are bird sanctuaries in some cities too. Yet, most of us are usually indifferent to them. We can identify only a handful of them, at most. When we hear of the bird-watching, it seems like a weird hobby, on part with philately. But some of us get mildly interested, but get disheartened soon when we fail to differentiate one bird species from another.

The primer that we wished to have is finally here. ‘Each Little Bird That Sings’ is as helpful as a book can be in identifying birds. It has grouped 250 common Indian birds (from the total of 1,200 or so) by their predominant colour and size, allowing even a beginner to recognize them at a glance.

The colour classifications by predominant colour are: Black, Black and White, Blue, Brown,
Green and Grey, while the multi-coloured birds have been grouped into Red/Orange, White,
Yellow, depending on their prominent colour. Within each colour, the birds are organized by size (from the smallest to the largest), each having the following sub-heads: description; habits; call; mythology, tales & trivia. (This refers to the male bird; the female birds can be dull-looking.)

Thus, this book is more than just a field guide. Alongside crisp photographs for easy identification, it weaves in captivating tales and folklore from Indian scriptures, mythology, and real-life birding experiences. Beautiful hand-drawn illustrations breathe life into these stories, making every discovery richer and more meaningful.

Plus, there’s a basic introduction at the beginning to birds and how to start off as a birder.

So, whether the reader is a new birder, a nature lover, or simply someone who enjoys a good story, this book will transform the way they see the feathered world around you.

“I hope this book ignites the passion for birding in new birders, and provides enriched reading for experienced birders too!” writes Jayantika Davé, who has been a passionate birder for over fifty years, having been introduced to this fascinating hobby at a very young age by her learned ornithologist grandfather K.N. Davé. She is the author of ‘100 Indian Garden Flowers’. In her professional life, she is an advisor on human resource strategy and has led the human resources function in global organizations.

“I grew up in a bungalow in Lodhi Estate, with a large garden, surrounded by old trees – ideal bird habitat!” she writes. “My grandparents would periodically visit us from Jabalpur, and my grandfather would walk the garden with me – pointing out shrikes creating insect larders in the shrubbery, placing a sheet of cardboard on a defunct light and attracting doves to nest on it, and sharing spell-binding tales of keeping a Sarus as a pet, and a Racquet-tailed Drongo that could whistle the whole reveille! So, my journey as a birder started young …” The paternal grandfather, K.N. Davé, who did the hand-holding during the initial stage of this journey went on to write ‘Birds in Sanskrit Literature’, a final word on the subject.

The title, by the way, comes from a “hymn to the wonder of nature”, written by Cecil Frances in 1848, which has inspired the titles of several Gerald Durrell classics too:

Each little flower that opens,
Each Little Bird That Sings,
God made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.
  Yes, all things bright and beautiful,
  All creatures great and small,
  All things wise and wonderful,
  The Lord God made them all.

[The image at the top: Courtesy WikiMedia Creative Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brown_indian_birds.jpg]