Coimbatore is celebrating the eight edition of Coimbatore Vizha this year. This time, on the opening day of the festival, a book titled, Birds of Coimbatore, which documents the birds of Coimbatore city, was launched.

A release from Young Indians (Yi) Coimbatore Chapter stated that the team of organizers felt the need to come out with a document that would showcase at least one aspect of Coimbatore city. This year, they have chosen to release a book about the birds. The book will serve as a baseline for documenting changes in the bird populations in the coming years.

Coimbatore Nature Society (CNS), one of the most active bird-watching groups of the city, has developed the content of the book. The book contains short profiles of all the birds seen within the boundaries of our district in the last few years. All the profiles are accompanied by photographs. There is also an extensive discussion on the birding hotspots in and around Coimbatore city. This section is aimed at people who are interested in bird-watching but do not know how to start. In all, around 320 species of birds have been covered in the book.

In the appendix section of the book, a complete list of birds along with their known Tamil names, scientific (Binomial) names, and families is given. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions section for wannabe birdwatchers.

Dr Pramod, Sr. Scientist, SACON, has written a foreword for the book. The hard-bound book will have around 250 pages, and will be priced at Rs.350. Copies of the book can be ordered at www.coimbatorevizha.com/birdsofcoimbatore