Welcome to Ornithology.in

This is a platform that brings together resources for those interested in the academic study of birds.

Although most of the resources here are focused on ornithology, many of them are relevant for students and researchers in ecology, wildlife, and conservation.

Explore the resources through the menu and links on this homepage. If you feel something is missing or would like us to add new material, we would be happy to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected]. Your suggestions would help us make this platform more useful for everyone.

Career advice in Ornithology

Select where you are at

Career advice in Ornithology

Select where you are at

School Students
Applying for a Bachelor’s
Pursuing a Bachelor’s
Applying for a Master’s
Pursuing a Master’s
Applying for a PhD
Pursuing a PhD
Life after PhD

Wildlife Academic Courses

Wildlife-related BSc, MSc, Diploma Courses in India

Choosing the right course is often the first step in shaping a career. Yet finding a programme that truly matches your interests and aspirations can feel overwhelming. To make this easier, we’ve compiled a list of BSc, MSc, and Diploma courses in wildlife, ecology, and related fields offered across India. This resource is designed to help you discover opportunities, compare options, and plan your academic path with clarity and confidence.

see a list of all courses

Key Research Questions

What’s next for Indian Ornithology? 101 key research questions

India is home to an incredible diversity of birds, yet there is still so much we don’t fully understand about their lives, behaviours, and conservation. At the same time, as students and researchers, it can be difficult to know which questions to pursue.

To help future research, ornithologists from across the country identified 101 key research questions in Indian ornithology. Each question is accompanied by an annotation with background and examples.

  1. What are the patterns and variations in life history traits of India’s birds?
  2. What physiological and behavioural adaptations allow birds to persist in different climatic zones?
  3. How do birds learn to avoid aposematic prey?
  4. What are the effects of climate change on the demography of birds?
  5. How rapidly are different bird habitats changing across India?
  6. What is the geographical variation of rarity and abundance in Indian birds?
  7. What are the phylogeographic patterns of disjunctly distributed species across the Indian subcontinent?
  1. What are the patterns and variations in life history traits of India’s birds?
  2. What physiological and behavioural adaptations allow birds to persist in different climatic zones?
  3. How do birds learn to avoid aposematic prey?
  4. What are the effects of climate change on the demography of birds?

see a list of all questions

Meet a Researcher

Ankita Sinha, PhD

“Ornithological research is not just leisure birdwatching and enjoying the wilderness. It involves writing grants to secure funds, arranging logistics and networking with the right people. Being in the field and watching birds may be the most amusing part but this comes with designing a proper study to collect data, mastering analytical skills and finally disseminating results to the academic and non-academic world. A good starting point would be to learn from resources around, writing to people of relevant interests and expertise and engaging in discussions with peers.”

Hrishikesh Karandikar

“What I saw, what I genuinely saw in those first two seconds, was a human skull sitting on a body that didn’t make sense. Then my eyes adjusted.”

Neeraj Mahar

The later stage of my pre-teen days also left some unfortunate memories, which I often reflect on with regret, when I occasionally carried a slingshot and aimed at white-eyes and warblers, unaware of the value of the lives around me.

see all reseachers

Directory of Ornithologists

Ghazala Shahabuddin
Conservation, Ecology-Community ecology, Natural history
Rajkamal Goswami
Conservation, Ecology-Community ecology, Ecology-General
Panchapakesan Jeganathan
Citizen Science, Ecology-Habitat ecology, Natural history
Prachi Mehta
Conservation, Ecology-Community ecology, Ecology-Macroecology
Nishant Kumar
Behaviour-General, Ecology-General, Others
Raman Kumar
Behaviour-General, Citizen Science, Ecology-Community ecology
Ramana Athreya
Ecology-Community ecology, Ecology-Macroecology, Evolution
VV Robin (Vijayan)
Behaviour-Bioacoustics, Biogeography, Evolution
12...6
Monica Kaushik
Conservation, Ecology-Community ecology, Ecology-Habitat ecology
Kaleem Ahmed
Behaviour-Bioacoustics, Conservation, Ecology-General
Gopinathan Maheswaran
Behaviour-Foraging, Behaviour-General, Conservation
Anant Pande
Behaviour-Breeding behaviour, Conservation, Ecology-General
12...11

see all ornithologists

Ornithology Course

Basic Course in Ornithology (NPTEL)

This course in Basic Ornithology is hosted on the Government of India’s Swayam-NPTEL platform. It is a 3-month, purely online course that introduces participants to the scientific study of birds, covering topics like bird anatomy, physiology, taxonomy, behaviour, and conservation. It is designed for Bachelor’s and Master’s students in the life sciences and it can be taken for academic credit. It is also useful for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts who wish to learn about the formal discipline of ornithology.

The course was a fantastic experience, with detailed and engaging lessons that made complex topics easy to understand. It not only strengthened my B.Sc. studies but also helped improve guiding birdwatching trails and explain birds with clarity. It has sparked my curiosity in the subfields of ornithology and built a strong foundation for my future Master’s studies.
– Ishaan Prabhudesai (2025)
BSc student, Mumbai
The course helped me clarify concepts ranging from avian taxonomy, evolution, and behaviour to experimental design and conservation. The course structure proved greatly helpful in preparing me for my PhD. It also offered an excellent platform to connect with researchers and learn about their work during the initial stages of my academic career.
– Ahana Bera (2022)
   PhD student, IISER Kolkata
NPTEL basic Course on Ornithology was thorough, evenly paced, taught by knowledgeable instructors. I learned a new topic each week, chased down research articles, and enjoyed working on the’ assignments. Since taking the course, I cannot see or hear a bird the same way as in the past!
– Dr. Amurthur Ramamurthy (2024)
Passionate Birder
The course was a fantastic experience, with detailed and engaging lessons that made complex topics easy to understand. It not only strengthened my B.Sc. studies but also helped improve guiding birdwatching trails and explain birds with clarity. It has sparked my curiosity in the subfields of ornithology and built a strong foundation for my future Master’s studies.
– Ishaan Prabhudesai (2025)
   BSc student, Mumbai
The course helped me clarify concepts ranging from avian taxonomy, evolution, and behaviour to experimental design and conservation. The course structure proved greatly helpful in preparing me for my PhD. It also offered an excellent platform to connect with researchers and learn about their work during the initial stages of my academic career.
– Ahana Bera (2022)
   PhD student, IISER Kolkata
NPTEL basic Course on Ornithology was thorough, evenly paced, taught by knowledgeable instructors. I learned a new topic each week, chased down research articles, and enjoyed working on the’ assignments. Since taking the course, I cannot see or hear a bird the same way as in the past!
– Dr. Amurthur Ramamurthy (2024)
   Passionate Birder

15,000+

Enrollments

30+ hours

Of recorded lectures

15+

Faculty and resource persons

sign up for the course

Grants & Scholarships

see all grants & scholarships