Imagine you’re walking along a path and suddenly find a bird’s feather. You’d instinctively want to pick it up, wouldn’t you? Most people keep some bird feathers safely tucked away in their diary or book. Birds are so beautiful and colorful that their feathers naturally fascinate us.
One such bird lover is Ahmedabad-based Esha Munshi, who has a deep passion for bird photography. During the lockdown, an injured Indian Silverbill landed in her courtyard — attacked by a predator. Esha managed to save the bird, but some of its feathers had fallen off. Those very feathers sparked her curiosity and led her to conduct extensive research. She realized that while many people engage in bird photography, students of zoology and ornithology lack accessible resources on bird feathers.
This thought inspired her to establish “Feather Library”, a digital archive dedicated to documenting bird feathers. Recently, she made a remarkable achievement by documenting the rare bird Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea), marking the second-ever record for India and the first for Gujarat.
Esha Munshi (Founder of Feather Library and Collaborator for bird specimens at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru) believes in spreading awareness. She explains, “A bird’s entire body is made of feathers. Even the smallest bird has at least around 1,000 feathers, while the largest birds may have up to 25,000 feathers. Many people are unaware of this fact.”
At present, the Feather Library houses over 350 bird specimens, representing 154 Indian bird species — from kingfishers to flamingos. The library operates with active collaborations in Gujarat and Karnataka, and all entries are fully digitized, easily accessible through the Feather Library website.
In Gujarat, she also collaborates with Jivdaya Charitable Trust, Ahmedabad, and works with students and bird enthusiasts. Notably, in Karnataka, all birds that die naturally are donated to the Feather Library. Esha emphasizes that while Gujarat has immense potential for research in this field, greater awareness still needs to be created.
Looking ahead, she hopes to incorporate X-rays (for skeletal details) and CT scans (for soft tissue details) into her work. Currently, she is permitted to study bird feathers only in Gujarat and Karnataka, but she aims to expand her work to other states. “I want to build a rescue center network because I believe they hold a massive scientific database that remains underutilized,” she adds.
Speaking about her vision, Esha says, “The primary aim of establishing the Feather Library was to give something meaningful back to science and society. As a birdwatcher, I realized we can learn so much from birds. Their feathers, calls, and behavior provide valuable insights into our ecosystem. I wanted to create a platform that preserves this knowledge and makes it accessible to researchers and the public. The Feather Library is a non-invasive collection of bird specimens that contributes to conservation, education, and scientific research. This project deepened my interest in bird education as I witnessed how sharing knowledge can inspire others to care for birds and their habitats. By focusing on education, the Feather Library empowers students, researchers, and bird enthusiasts to connect with nature in meaningful ways. Ultimately, I aim to foster a deeper appreciation for birds and their role in our world, bridging the gap between science and society.”
She strongly believes that people, especially children, are always eager to learn, and it is our responsibility to nurture that curiosity with meaningful and engaging knowledge. Whether through hands-on experiences, stories about wildlife, or guided field explorations, we hold the key to opening young minds to the wonders of nature. By fostering their desire to learn, we help shape the next generation of nature advocates, conservationists, and conscious citizens — something the world needs now more than ever. For more information you can visit www. featherlibrary.com.