Who was Salim Ali?

Salim Ali, an Indian ornithologist, was among the first to conduct systematic bird surveys across India. His interest in birds began when he was a young boy.

Salim Ali was introducedto the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) by his uncle, who was a member there. W.S. Millard, secretary of the BNHS, helped young Salim identify a yellow-throated sparrow, which he caught while playing. In his autobiography, The Fall of a Sparrow, Salim Ali refers to this event as a turning point in his life. Millard also introduced Salim to the serious study of birds.

After completing Zoology in St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, Salim Ali went to Germany, where he worked under German ornithologist Erwin Stresemann, at the Berlin’s Natural History Museum. Back in India, Salim Ali helped set up many sanctuaries, including the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan, and the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Karnataka. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1976.

 

Picture Credit : Google

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