Did you know that after a cyclone, birds have been known to wake up past 9 am? And that the spotted owlets perched on top of railroad wires may even be heard above the puff of the engine, for they are very noisy after the long day in bed? Or that the crow-pheasant is an unhappily named bird, for it is neither crow nor pheasant? These are just some of the nuggets that make up Of Birds and Birdsong, an anthology of tales by the legendary Madhaviah Krishnan, compiled by editors Shanthi and Ashish Chandola.

The delightful stories with curious titles – “March Roller”, “The Poor Man’s Dog”, “Pigeon Post”, “Friendly Hobgoblins” – motivate you to drop everything and become a serious birder. Krishnan’s descriptions are fascinating. For instance, in “March Roller”, he writes: “For the roller is a sedentary bird at other times, respectable, even gentlemanly in a lazy sort of a way. Then, all at once it sheds its reserve and becomes a thing demented. Love is a powerful influence; even in the highest animals it has been known to induce a sudden, abandoned silliness”.

He also raises compelling questions by documenting the disappearance of forested areas and its impact on bird life and critiquing the banal designs of urban parks and gardens. No wonder his evocative columns “converted a generation of youngsters into environmentalists”.

Krishnan wrote a column titled “Country Notebook” for The Statesman which ran for forty-six years, the last piece being published on the day of his death. He served on the advisory committee of the BNHS, the steering committee for Project Tiger, and the Indian Board of Wildlife. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1970.

Published in 2014.