Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali

Salim Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist, often referred to as the "birdman of India". He was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and wrote several books on birds that helped to popularize ornithology in India. He also played a key role in the conservation of several bird habitats and wildlife sanctuaries in India. Salim Ali was born into a Sulaimani Bohra Muslim family in Bombay on 12 November 1896. He was the ninth and youngest child of his parents. His father died when he was a year old and his mother died when he was three. He was brought up by his maternal uncle, Amiruddin Tyabji, and aunt, Hamida Begum, in a middle-class household. He developed an early interest in birds and was introduced to W. S. Millard, secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), who identified a yellow-throated sparrow that young Salim had shot with his toy air gun. Millard encouraged Salim to study birds and offered to train him in skinning and preservation. Salim Ali went to primary school at Zenana Bible and Medical Mission Girls High School along with his sisters. He later went to St. Xavier's College, Bombay, but his studies suffered as he had chronic headaches. He passed the matriculation exam of the Bombay University with difficulty in 1913. He went to Burma to help his family in their wolfram mining works there. There he got ample opportunities to study birds and indulge in his favorite hobby, hunting. He returned to India in 1917 and proceeded to study commercial law and accountancy at Davar's College of Commerce. However, Father Ethelbert Blatter at St. Xavier's College recognized his true passion and convinced him to study zoology alongside. Salim Ali married Tehmina in December 1918. She was a distant relative and a friend of his sisters. She shared his interest in nature and accompanied him on many of his expeditions. She died in 1939 due to a gall bladder infection. They had no children. Salim Ali's career as an ornithologist began in earnest when he met Norman Boyd Kinnear, a curator at the British Museum, who invited him to work on the museum's collection of Indian birds. Salim Ali spent several months in London studying and cataloging the specimens. He also met other eminent ornithologists such as Erwin Stresemann and Ernst Mayr, who became his mentors and collaborators. Salim Ali returned to India in 1926 and joined the BNHS as an honorary secretary. He initiated a series of bird surveys across India, covering regions such as Hyderabad, Travancore, Coorg, Kutch, Sikkim, Assam, and Rajasthan. He collected thousands of bird specimens and recorded their distribution, behavior, ecology, and taxonomy. He also wrote several books based on his observations, such as The Book of Indian Birds (1941), The Birds of Kerala (1953), Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (1964-1974), The Fall of a Sparrow (1985), and many others. His books were widely acclaimed for their scientific accuracy, literary style, and illustrations. Salim Ali was also a pioneer in the field of conservation biology in India. He used his personal influence and scientific authority to persuade the government and the public to protect the natural habitats of birds and other wildlife. He was instrumental in the creation of the Bharatpur bird sanctuary (Keoladeo National Park) and the prevention of the destruction of the Silent Valley National Park. He also campaigned for the establishment of other wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in India. He was a founding member of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in India and served as its vice-president. Salim Ali received many honors and awards for his contributions to ornithology and conservation. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1976, India's third and second highest civilian honors respectively. He also received the Gold Medal of the British Ornithologists' Union in 1967, the John C. Phillips Memorial Medal of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 1976, the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize in 1976, and several honorary doctorates from Indian and foreign universities. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament) in 1985 and was appointed as a National Professor by the government of India in 1973. Salim Ali died in Bombay at the age of 90 on 20 June 1987, after a protracted battle with prostate cancer. In 1990, the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) was established at Coimbatore by the Government of India. Pondicherry University established the Salim Ali School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Several species of birds, a fruit bat, a gecko, a couple of bird sanctuaries, and institutions have been named after him.