Up Close: 'A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains'
A glimpse into one of the earliest illustrated studies of birds from the Indian subcontinent
A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains (1832) by John GouldSarmaya Arts Foundation
Introduction
The book presented in this story is known as A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains. Published in 1832 by John Gould, Elizabeth Gould and Nichols Vigours, this is the first illustrated book on birds from the Indian subcontinent.
The Man Behind the Birds
Curator and taxidermist of the Museum of the Zoological Society of London, John Gould, came up with the idea to publish this work after the society received a delivery of bird skins. He enlisted the help of his friend, Nichols Vigours, for the accompanying scientific descriptions of the birds and his wife Elizabeth Gould for the accompanying illustrations. The success of this work encouraged the Goulds to travel the world and illustrate the birds they saw.
The Woman Behind the Art
An impressive collection of 80 lithographic prints, illustrated and transferred to stone by Elizabeth Gould, this book features birds that were previously unknown to British society, and it gave them a glimpse of birds from India. Here are some of the birds from their debut collection.
Himalayan Black Bulbul
This bird shown here is the black bulbul. Nichols Vigours was the first person to name the genus that this bird is classified under. He named the genus: Hysipetes, which means high-flyer. These birds are also known for their loud vocalisations, which include squeaks, meows, whistles and chatters.
Ibisbill
This unique bird, which is called the Ibisbill, is another bird that was described for the first time by Vigours. It is found on the riverbanks of high-altitude plateaus in Central Asia and the Himalayas. These birds are known for inhabiting rivers with little vegetation and feeding on small creatures that reside under rocks and gravel. The identification, description and illustration of these birds was a significant accomplishment for the Goulds and Vigours, but this was just the beginning of the Goulds’ accomplishments.
Spot-winged Rosefinch and Pink-browed Rosefinch
Seven years after John Gould received the Himalayan birds, he was approached by Charles Darwin to help him identify and describe the birds that he brought back with him on the HMS Beagle.
Darwin believed that the birds he brought back were from different families, but Gould identified them as all belonging to the same family. This eventually helped Darwin develop his theory of evolution. The finches pictured here are not Darwin’s finches, and unlike them, these birds have adaptations for the mountains rather than islands. These birds have adapted to migrate to lower altitudes during breeding season.
Crested Serpent Eagle
Another well-adapted bird is what Gould named Haematornis undulatus, which is known as the Spilornis cheela, or the crested serpent eagle. This bird, which is the first lithograph in A Century of Birds, is larger at higher altitudes. Due to its large size, it is not found within dense forests, preferring to hunt on the outskirts. As its name suggests, it eats reptiles, which includes venomous lizards and snakes.
Himalayan Monal
This large bird is the iridescent Himalayan monal, which is the national bird of Nepal. These omnivores have strong claws that help it dig through snow to uncover food, and a thick plumage to keep it warm. Despite the threat of being poached for its feathers, the population of the Himalayan monal is considerable, partly due to conservation efforts in areas such as the Great Himalayan National Park.
The Great Indian Bustard
The bird pictured here has not been as fortunate as the Himalayan monal. Its population strength has fallen over the last 200 years due to hunting and habitat loss. When the national bird of India was being decided, the great Indian bustard was one of the contenders, but it lost out to the peacock.
Conclusion
Gould’s A Century of Birds brought him fame and respect in ornithology circles. He went on to publish over 40 volumes and 3000 coloured plates, most of which were made by Elizabeth. Such illustrated works serve not only as beautiful artefacts, but also as an important record of the creatures that used to be common in the world.
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