When he was ten, Salim Ali's uncle Amiruddin shot a bird. A curious Ali then made a trip to the Bombay Natural History Society to identify the species. As told to him by the then honorary secretary WS Millard, the bird was a yellow-throated sparrow. With the same curiosity intact throughout his lifetime, Ali went on to be known as the Birdman of India. Since then, Mumbai has changed rapidly — not only by name or population but by tree cover, air quality, built environment and other statistics that we pay close attention to only when disaster strikes. But fortunately, there are still some green pockets left for our little friends to chirp around. And this Sunday is an opportunity to head to a place that is home to over 200 species of birds.

Black-naped Monarch