For a good part of the last quarter century, many would know of Dr. S V Narasimhan as the man who painstakingly and meticulously painted post cards with conservation messages and sent them out to people. He has been doing this for several years tirelessly, and continues to do so. He has also quietly made it to the Limca Book of Records for this mammoth effort.

Dr. S V Narasimhan, a doctor by profession, is perhaps known to many for his passion for birds. A resident of Virajpet very familiar with the district coupled with his ability to paint, saw him publish a bilingual book titled ‘Feathered Jewels of Coorg’.  A book written and illustrated by the same author was reason enough for him to make it to the record books again.

If you thought being a doctor, an artist and an author is in itself some achievement that should keep him busy, think again. He is a polymath with interests in music, astronomy, and is a photographer too!

For this Coorg special, jlrexplore.com spoke to Dr. Narasimhan.

Dr NarasimhanDr. S V Narasimhan

1. What spurred you, a doctor by profession, to look at birds?
 
It is about 32 years since I began watching birds. One Mr. Kumbera Sharu Subbaiah, Masters in Agriculture, initiated me into birdwatching. He was then working for Pest Control of India at Chennai, and visited his ancestral house in Virajpet frequently. He had been pestering one of my friends, an advocate, to visit his house to look at the birds around the property. One Sunday, my friend decided to put an end to this and asked me to accompany him. That morning, I was exposed to the world of birds. The same evening I happened to visit another family friend of Mr. Subbaiah and narrated my new adventure. He handed me a copy of The Birds of India. That was the beginning of my long birding life.

2. Can you describe your early days of birding and how you came to be such an established birder in Coorg?

In those days except some members of the Coorg Wildlife Society (CWS), there were not many birdwatchers in Coorg; there were not many bird books, nor the internet. So it was mostly my own interest in birds that took me to different places to watch them and I made field notes on the birds of Coorg.

3. Many birders fondly remember you for the innumerable greeting cards with colored illustrations of birds that you used to send them each year, for countless number of years. What made you to take to this amazing task?

They are not greeting cards. I call them Wildlife Message Cards. Here too, I do not have an interesting story. About 30 years ago some friends and I organized monthly cultural and literary programmes, where we had around one hundred permanent invitees. It was one such October, when I sent hand-written invitations on index cards, along with the illustration of a fawn and a wildlife conservation message. That was an instant success. Many invitees complimented me for the refreshingly innovative way of celebrating Wildlife Week. What started with 120 cards, very soon became a lifetime’s commitment.

Message 1
Message 2
 
4. How many species of birds did you paint and how many cards did you paint during this period?
 
In all, I might have painted about 70 mammals, 15 butterflies and 250 species of birds. This year being the 30th year of my making Wildlife Message Cards, I have reached 60,000 hand painted cards. I sincerely do not consider my cards as masterpieces of art. But when I paint them with great love and dedication, I put a small part of my heart into each one of my cards.
 
Message 3
 
Message 4
 
5. The `Feathered Jewels of Coorg’ your illustrated, bilingual book, is a culmination of all those years of birding you did in Coorg. When did you really think that you should write this book?
 
In fact, I never thought of writing a book on the birds of Coorg. Mr. K N Changappa and Dr. C G Kushalappa, both members of CWS, advised me to work on such a book. Though they had a plan of making a book consisting of one hundred common birds of Coorg, I decided to write a complete field guide of the birds found in my district in English and Kannada along with local names.
 
Book Cover
 Dr. S V Narasimhan’s bilingual book, ‘Feathered Jewels of Coorg’
 
6. How has this book influenced and inspired the general public to take to birdwatching in Coorg?
 
The book was readily accepted by everyone and it soon became a very popular book. I feel that there is a palpable change in the general public regarding the importance of birds and the habitat around their estates and sacred groves. The fact that, of the 1300 odd species of birds found in India, nearly 30 percent of bird species are recorded in the tiny district of Coorg, is in itself exciting.

The book also contains the local knowledge database of the birdlife in Coorg. Most of the birds have Kodava names. Interestingly, these birds are not just named after their color or shape. Many are named after their habits or habitat or they are onomatopoeic. The younger generation has realized this and is proud of the keen sense of observation of their forefathers.

With the advent of internet and digital photography, many youngsters have taken up birding as a hobby in Coorg.

Book Illustrations
 Illustrations by the author Dr. S V Narasimhan in his book
 
7. Which areas in Coorg do you think that birdwatchers should never miss visiting?
 
All the 28 habitats that I have enumerated in my book are equally rewarding with regard to birdwatching. Nevertheless, Devarakadus or sacred groves, and vast coffee estates form the greatest source of exhilaration for birders.

8. How has the bird scenario in Coorg changed over the years?

The last decade has seen a vast transformation in the socio-economic development of Coorg. Business has boomed, tourism in the form of resorts, home-stays and adventure sports has sprouted all over. Bird enthusiasts who visit Coorg have identified species that were not documented earlier.

At the same time, not all is well with regards to ecology and birdlife. Townships are becoming concrete jungles, engulfing the surrounding villages. It is development at the cost of erosion of natural treasure. Added with shortage of labor force, and increasing costs of maintaining the coffee estates and paddy-fields, more and more youngsters are lured by city life. Timber and land mafia are slowly taking over the economy of Coorg.Message 5

 
9. By far, you are one of the most knowledgeable persons on birds of Coorg. In your opinion, what is the best approach to conserve the overall bird diversity in Coorg?
 
Coorg today stands at the crossroads. It is development as against ecological conservation. The balancing act is not easy. The policy makers, people representatives and politicians do not take local opinions into confidence. They are ill informed and misled. The Madhav Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports on Western Ghats have not been understood and are interpreted according to their personal benefits. All this has put birds and ecology of Coorg to the backburner. Awareness and responsible intervention is the need of the hour to conserve ecology in general and bird diversity in particular.

10. What are the tips you want to give to youngsters on birding in Coorg?

  • Go with an open mind, be inquisitive, and record observations with the obedience of a student.
  • Birdwatching is a direct route to love nature, experience nature and conserve nature.
  • Identifying the species of birds in the field is important. But studying and documenting their behavior and their role in nature is the utmost necessity of the hour.
  • Strictly follow the rules of the land and respect the local sentiments when you step into reserved forests, sacred groves, paddy-fields or  estates.
  • Be prepared for surprises.