The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) covered about 1,331 different bird species that can be found in India in a field guide that was written by ZSI. According to ZSI Director Dhriti Banerjee, Unlike prior books that mostly used drawings, it emphasizes high-quality images of birds. The identification of each species is essential for accurate documentation.
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Zoological Survey of India (ZSI): Key Points
- Despite the country’s abundance of bird species, the ZSI director noted that it had far fewer bird enthusiasts than several European nations with lower avian diversity.
- However, given that so many young birders around the nation have taken up bird watching and bird photography as their hobbies, Banerjee predicted that their number will rise significantly more in the future.
- Documenting the species that are already present across the nation is essential before conservation since it prepares the way for the construction of a database for any potential long-term conservation initiatives.
- Therefore, it is crucial to have a comprehensive field identification guide that can assist both novice and professional birders.
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Zoological Survey of India (ZSI): Event Highlights
- Two events were planned by the ZSI to promote the book “Field Guide, Birds of India.” One took place in Kolkata and there will be another in Mumbai.
- The book’s authors interacted with local birders and gave them an explanation of why they decided to create this book.
- The ceremony took place in the auditorium of the Zoological Survey of India in Kolkata, while ZSI and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) will organise the programme in Mumbai.
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI): About
- Zoological Survey of India was established by the government of India on July 1, 1916, as the leading organization in zoological research and studies in order to advance the survey, exploration, and study of the fauna in the nation.
- The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) had a turbulent beginning.
- The Asiatic Society of Bengal was established by Sir William Jones on January 15, 1784, and that is when ZSI’s history began.
- In addition to the Indian Museum (1875), the Asiatic Society of Bengal served as the parent organization for organizations like the Zoological Survey of India and the Geological Survey of India.
- The establishment of ZSI was actually a realization of Sir William Jones’s ideal, who founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal and had a vision that included all of the human knowledge.
- The Asiatic Society has been gathering biological and geological specimens since 1796 and in 1814 it established a museum.
- The growing collections of geological and zoological specimens were under the supervision of Nathaniel Wallich, the first Superintendent of the “Museum of the Asiatic Society.” He had expanded the animal collections to the Zoological Galleries of the Museum.
- The Indian Museum first opened its doors in 1875, marking the beginning of the Zoological Survey of India.
- When the new museum first opened, it only had three divisions: zoological, archaeological, and geological.
- The Board of Trustees of the Indian Museum received the zoological holdings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in writing in 1875.
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