Ornithological Terms

Ornithology is the scientific study of birds. It is perhaps the only discipline in zoology that has benefited greatly from the contributions of amateurs as much has been learned about the distribution, migratory movements, and ecology of birds from their observations. As the eminent Indian ornithologist late Dr. Sálim Ali has pointed out, such observations by ordinary people, made without the knowledge of or being swayed by this pet theory or that, often have the advantage of being completely unbiased. Today, bird lovers are exposed to a large number of ornithological resources (books, periodicals, the internet, audio-visual aids, and so forth). This dictionary has been prepared as an aid for bird enthusiasts seeking definitions for unfamiliar terms or bird names they may encounter in ornithological literature.