A Small Note On Salim Ali

Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali, popularly known as Salim Aii was an Indian naturalist and ornithologist. Salim Ali was born on 12th November 1896, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was also referred to as the “Bird Man of India,” Salim Ali played a vital role in developing ornithology through his surveys and books. He became an orphan as a very young child, and so his uncle on the maternal side, Amiruddin Tyabji raised him after their death. His uncle was a nature lover and hunter. Under Uncle Amiruddin’s guidance, a young Ali learnt how to hunt and became conscious of the natural world around him. 

Salim Ali

On 12 November 1896, Salim Ali was born in Khetwadi, Bombay. His full name was Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali. When he was one year old, his father Moizuddin died & when he was three, his mother, Zeenat-un-Nissa, died. After his parents died, he lived with his maternal aunt & uncle, Hamida Begum & Amiruddin Tyabji, in Mumbai, who took care of him. His other maternal uncle Abbas Tyabji was a great freedom fighter. At his younger age, Salim was interested in books related to hunting & listened to his uncle’s words on hunting very carefully. In his childhood, Salim chased a bird with his hunting gun & when he hit the bird, he felt bad & also wondered because he had never seen a bird whose neck had yellow spots. But in reality, that bird was a sparrow, Salim carefully looked at that bird for a long time & many questions kept coming to his mind. When his curiosity didn’t subside, he picked that sparrow & went to his uncle Amiruddin. Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali constantly asked questions to his uncle. When even his uncle couldn’t satisfy his curiosity completely, he took him to W.S Millard, who was Secretary of the Natural History Society which was in Mumbai. After talking with him (W.S. Millard), his interest in birds increased.

Some Facts

• Due to a lack of interest in mathematics, he could not complete his college studies. And after failing in the mining business, he took a course in zoology at the age of 20 & got a job as a guide at the Museum of Natural History Society.
• Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali desperately wanted the ornithologist’s position but could not get it due to a lack of a formal degree.
• He went to Germany after he thought he had to know more about birds & saw them up close. He worked under Professor Stresemann at the Berlin Zoological Museum.
• After he came from Germany, he lost his job because the museum ran out of money.

Books

Salim Ali wrote several bird books. He wrote a book named “The Book Of Indian Birds,” launched in 1941. In this book, a lot of information has been told about birds & that book has sold millions.

 He wrote another book with world-famous bird scientist S. Dillon Ripley in 10 hours named “Handbook of the Birds on India and Pakistan. In this book, a summary of years of study has been represented.

Apart from this, he has written a book on the basis of many interesting formations in his life named “The Fall of a Sparrow.”

Conclusion

Salim Ali spent almost 60years of his life with Indian birds. His knowledge about birds was so. He not only did the study of birds but did a lot of work in natural conversation. He had received an international award of ₹5 lakh. He dedicated all the money to the Bombay Natural History Society. In 1983, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. On 20 June 1987, the great Indian ornithologist passed away