K. K. Neelakantan (1923 - 14 June 1992) better known by his

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Induchoodan, was a leading

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

. He is widely regarded as a pioneer of the environmental movement in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

for popularizing bird study through his books written in Malayalam.

Early life

Neelakantan was born in 1923 in Kavassery, a village in

Palakkad district Palakkad District () is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out from the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the centre of Kerala. It is the largest district i ...

, in a

Tamil Brahmin Tamil Brahmins are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins, predominantly living in Tamil Nadu, though they number significantly in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, in addition to other regions of India, as wel ...

family. As his father was a

veterinary surgeon Veterinary surgery is surgery performed on animals by veterinarians, whereby the procedures fall into three broad categories: orthopaedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/urogenital/ ...

in the Mysore Government Service, his early schooling was in

Chitradurga Chitradurga is a city and the headquarters of Chitradurga district, which is located on the valley of the Vedavati river in the central part of the Indian state of Karnataka. Chitradurga is a place with historical significance which is locate ...

. The rest of his schooling was done in five different schools in

Malabar Malabar may refer to the following: People * Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India * Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion Places * Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...

. He studied for the Intermediate in the

Malabar Christian College The Malabar Christian College (MCC), established in 1909, is one of the oldest institutions located in Kozhikode, Kerala, India. History It was established by Protestant Christian missionaries from Basel, Switzerland with the aim to impart educ ...

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...

and for the B.A. (Hons) in English literature in the Madras Christian College (1941–44).

Career

He started his career in early 1944 as a tutor in

The American College in Madurai The American College, often referred to as American College, is one of the oldest colleges in India, located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded in 1881 by American Christian missionaries. The red-brick buildings, in the Saracenic style, ...

. From here he was transferred to the Loyola College Madras, then to Brennen College, Thalassery, then to

Rajamundry Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Rajah ...

and again to Victoria College, Palakkad where he continued till 1947. After that he served the Government College,

Chittoor Chittoor is a city and district headquarters in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the mandal and divisional headquarters of Chittoor mandal and Chittoor revenue division, respectively. The city has a popul ...

, the Women’s College, Thiruvananthapuram, the Maharaja’s College,

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...

and

University College Thiruvananthapuram University College, Thiruvananthapuram (UCT) is a constituent college of the University of Kerala, based primarily in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. The college was awarded 23rd rank by National Institutional Ran ...

. During his term as the Head of the Department of English in the

Thiruvananthapuram University College University College, Thiruvananthapuram (UCT) is a constituent college of the University of Kerala, based primarily in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. The college was awarded 23rd rank by National Institutional Ran ...

, he retired in 1978.

Works

His

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

''Keralathile Pakshikal'' (Birds of Kerala) first published in 1958 is considered to be a classic in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

. Described with illustrations of 261 birds found in

, it is considered a unique work among Indian languages. A collection of his essays on environment, bird watching and birds titled ''Pullu Thottu Poonara Vare'' won the award of the State Department of Science, Technology and environment for popular Science writing and also the I. C. Chacko Endowment prize by the Kerala Sahitya Academy. ''Pakshikalum Manushyarum'', his other work on birds and bird watching for children, also has won two awards from the Kerala Government and Kairali Children's Book Trust instituted for Children's literature. When the editor for

Macmillan Publishers Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publi ...

approached him for a book on any subject of his own choice in English, he offered instead to write a book on birds and bird watching for children in Malayalam. He started bird watching at a young age when he was living in his ancestral house at Kavassery. He practiced this hobby very seriously at all places wherever he had been working. In 1949, Induchoodan got the rare good fortune of stumbling upon the largest pelicanry in India. He found it at Aredu some 13 miles from Tadepalligudam in the East Godavari District. This finding was published in 1949. Induchoodan was the president of ''Prakriti Samrakshna Samithi'' and led the Silent Valley Agitation during the year 1979. He was the founder and President of Kerala Natural History Society and Honorary member of WWF India. He pursued the study of birds until his death at the age of 69.

List of publications

* Neelakantan, K. K. (1982): The Pintail (''Anas acuta'' Linn.) - an addition to the birds occurring in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 79(3), 667–668. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1986): Pond heron afloat. ''

Newsletter for Birdwatchers ''Newsletter for Birdwatchers'' is an Indian periodical of ornithology and birdwatching founded in 1960 by Zafar Futehally, who edited it until 2003. It was initially mimeographed and distributed to a small number of subscribers each month. It is ...

''. 26(5-6), 11–13. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1980): The breeding of the Indian Koel ''Eudynamys scolopacea''. ''

''. 20(1), 7. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1980): A pelican's pathetic plight. Tigerpaper 7(2), 21–24. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1983): The Black Ibis in South India. ''

''. 23(7-8), 17. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1981): The Brownwinged Tern (''Sterna anaethetus''): an addition to the birds of Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 78(1), 167–168. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1973): The Indian Lorikeet (''Loriculus vernalis''): Its courtship and mating. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 70(3), 554–556. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1975): The Indian Moorhen (''Gallinula chloropus'') breeding in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 72(2), 537–538. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1975): A day at a nest of the Great Black Woodpecker (''Dryocopus javensis''). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 72(2), 544–548. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1975): Curious behaviour of a Loten's Sunbird (''Nectarinia lotenia''). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 72(3), 858–859. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1976): On a nesting pair of Tailor Birds (''Orthotomus sutorius''). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 73(1), 219–221. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1976): On some nests of the Tailor Bird (''Orthotomus sutorius''). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 73(2), 396–400. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1979): The voice of the juvenile Brown Hawk-Owl 'Ninox scutulata'' (Raffles) J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 76(2), 363–364. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1986): Cuckoo. In: Encyclopedia of Indian Natural History. (Ed: Hawkins,RE) Bombay Natural History Society & Oxford University Press, Delhi, 158. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1986): Extinct and vanishing birds. In: Encyclopedia of Indian Natural History. (Ed: Hawkins,RE) Bombay Natural History Society & Oxford University Press, Delhi, 205–206. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1986): Owl. In: Encyclopedia of Indian Natural History. (Ed: Hawkins,RE) Bombay Natural History Society & Oxford University Press, Delhi, 425. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1971): Calls of the Malabar Jungle Owlet (''Glaucidium radiatum malabaricum''). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 68(3), 830–832. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1972): On the Southern Racket-tailed Drongo ''Dicrurus paradiseus paradiseus'' (Linn.). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 69(1), 1–9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1953): Common Grey Hornbill (''Tockus birostris'') eating fruits of the Yellow Oleander (''Thevetia neriifolia''). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 51(3), 738. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1953): Juvenile Brahminy Kites (''Haliastur indus'') learning things the modern way. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 51(3), 739. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1953): Strange habit of Terns breeding on Godavari sand-flats. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 51(3), 740–741. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1953): Occurrence of the Pheasant-tailed Jacana (''Hydrophasianus chirurgus'') in Madras State. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 51(3), 741–742. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1953): Observations on the nesting habits of some common birds. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 51(3), 743–745. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1954): The secondary song of birds. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 52(2&3), 615–620. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1956): Some observations on the breeding behaviour of the Chestnut Bittern ''Ixobrychus cinnamomeus'' (Gmelin) and the Black Bittern ''Dupetor flavicollis'' (Latham). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 53(4), 704–708. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1957): Hypnotic behaviour of a Whiteheaded Babbler (''Turdoides striatus''). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 54(2), 460–461. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1958): Water birds and our irrigation schemes. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 55(2), 360–361. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1958): The Blackbacked Woodpecker, ''Chrysocolaptes festivus'' (Boddaert), in Chittur Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 55(3), 559. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1958): The voice of the Kora, ''Gallicrex cinerea'' (Gmelin). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 55(3), 560–561. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1960): On the occurrence of the Redheaded Merlin (''Falco chiquera'') in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 57(2), 409–411. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1962): Drumming by, and an instance of homo-sexual behaviour in, the Lesser Goldenbacked Woodpecker (''Dinopium benghalense''). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 59(1), 288–290. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1948): On the breeding of the Bluetailed Bee Eater (''Merops superciliosus javanicus'') in Rajahmundri, East Godavari District. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 47(4), 741–742. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1990): Breeding of the River Tern ''Sterna aurantia'' in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 87(1), 144–145. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1964): Roosting of the Grey Wagtail 'Motacilla caspica'' (Gmelin)in the Thekkady Wild Life Sanctuary. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 61(3), 691–692. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1970): The occurrence of the Sanderling (''Calidris albus'') in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 67(3), 570. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1969): Occurrence of the Terek Sandpiper, ''Tringa terek'' (Latham) in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 66(3), 623. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1992): Puzzling plumages of the Little Ringed Plover. ''

''. 32(1-2), 13–14. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1990): Yellow-eyed Babbler ''Chrysomma sinensis'' in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 87(2), 302. * Neelakantan, K. K.; Elamon,S (1988): Ambalamedu : a duck sanctuary. Sanctuary Asia 8(3), 42–47. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1984): A note on the birds of Kerala. ''

''. 24(1-2), 5–7. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1984): A plea for some birds of Kerala. ''

''. 24(3-4), 5–8. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1984): A plea for some birds of Kerala. ''

''. 24(7-8), 2–4. * Neelakantan, K. K.; Elamon,S (1984): Teals or tourism. Hornbill 1984(3), 20–22. * Neelakantan, K. K.; Sreenivasan,KV; Sureshkumar,VK (1980): The Crab Plover (''Dromas ardeola'') in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 77(3), 508. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1952): More stray bird notes from Malabar. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 50(3), 664–667. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1949): A South Indian pelicanry. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 48(4), 656–666. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1950): Stray bird notes from Malabar. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 49(3), 553–555. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1990): On the voice of the Kora or Watercock ''Gallicrex cinerea''. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 87(2), 292–293. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1992): The diary of a naturalist. Blackbuck. 8(4), 102–108. * Neelakantan,P; Neelakantan, K. K. (1989): On the roosting of a pair of Tailor Birds. ''

''. 29(9-10), 2–3. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1991): Bluebreasted Banded Rail ''Rallus striatus'' Linn. nesting in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 88(3), 448–450. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1991): Breeding of the Kora or Watercock ''Gallicrex cinerea'' in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 88(3), 450–451. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1977): The sacred birds of Thirukkalukundram. ''

''. 17(4), 6. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1976):

Communal roosting Communal roosting is an animal behavior where a group of individuals, typically of the same species, congregate in an area for a few hours based on an external signal and will return to the same site with the reappearance of the signal. Environment ...

in the Redwhiskered Bulbul. ''

''. 16(2), 4–5. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1976): Seasonal variations in the occurrence of non-migratory birds. ''

''. 16(2), 5–6. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1976): Where do Darters sleep? ''

''. 16(6), 9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1976): An interesting double-nest. ''

''. 16(8), 9-10. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1973): A trip to Ponmudi - a tale of disappointments and delights. ''

''. 13(3), 1–3. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1972): A note on the behaviour of two House Crows. ''

''. 12(1), 11–12. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1972): A castaway with birds. ''

''. 12(4), 7–9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1993): The Crested Honey Buzzard ''Pernis ptilorhyncus'' (Temminck) breeding in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 90(2), 286–288. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1971): The pelicanry at Kolamuru. ''

''. 11(4), 1–3. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1971): In memoriam Kolleru pelicanry? ''

''. 11(8), 7–8. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1964): The roosting habits of the barbet. ''

''. 4(3), 1–2. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1966): Bird quarrels. ''

''. 6(5), 5–6. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1969): Close association between the Grey Wagtail and the Forest Wagtail. ''

''. 9(7), 10–11. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1969): Pheasant-tailed Jacana in Kerala. ''

''. 9(11), 8. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1969): The Baybanded Cuckoo in North Kerala. ''

''. 9(12), 3. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1963): Where to go to watch birds. ''

''. 3(9), 4–5. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1963): Tickell's flowerpecker and red tree-ant. ''

''. 3(12), 2. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1965): The nesting of the Heartspotted Woodpecker. ''

''. 5(3), 6–8. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1965): The slaughter of Imperial Pigeons in Cherai, Kerala. ''

''. 5(6), 7–8. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1965): 'Little Egret ''Egretta garzetta'' breeding in Kerala.'. ''

''. 5(6), 8. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1965): More about the birds of Thekkady. ''

''. 5(7), 1–4. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1965): Breeding of the Little Egret in Kerala. ''

''. 5(9), 9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1966): Strange choice of roost by Crows. ''

''. 6(1), 1–2. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1966): Behaviour of a captive Great Hornbill. ''

''. 6(2), 8. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1967): Reflections on a report of arson by the Common Crow. ''

''. 7(5), 3–4. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1967): More about Moondaidappu. ''

''. 7(7), 7–8. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1968): A note on the behaviour of two House Crows. ''

''. 8(9), 2–3. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1954): Some observations on the breeding behaviour of the Chestnut Bittern ''Ixobrychus cinnamomeus'' (Gmelin) and the Black Bittern ''Dupetor flavicollis'' (Latham). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 53(4), 704–708. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1978): Biology is for birds. ''

''. 18(7), 9-10. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1975): The Purplerumped Sunbird. ''

''. 15(1), 8. * Mohankumar,C; Nair,SSC; Neelakantan, K. K. (1975): Nesting of the Little Egret: a new record for Kerala. ''

''. 15(7), 5–6. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1970): Woodpeckers: Friends or foes? ''

''. 10(8), 1–3. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1993): The pathetic plight of the Grey (Spotbilled) Pelican. Blackbuck. 9(3&4), 72–80. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1980): A project for the eighties: Saving the Spottedbilled Pelican. Hornbill 1980(1), 21–24. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1969): Motiveless malignity or purposeless pestering. ''

''. 9(6), 4. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1969): The mating of the Goldenback Woodpecker ''Dinopium benghalense''. ''

''. 9(6), 6. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1962): Woodpeckers nesting in old nest-tunnels. ''

''. 2(6), 8–9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1962): Birds of Cochin and Ernakulam. ''

''. 2(6), 10. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1986): The Pond Heron keeps pace with progress. Blackbuck. 2(2), 31–32. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1974): Jungle Mynas ''Acridotheres fuscus'' anting. ''

''. 14(5), 8–9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1962): The food of the Magpie Robin. ''

''. 2(9), 8–9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1973): On a roost of the Whiteheaded (Blyth's) Myna ''Sturnus malabaricus blythii''. ''

''. 13(9), 4–7. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1976): The Malabar Grey Hornbill ''Tockus griseus''. ''

''. 16(3), 4–6. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1964): The Green Barbet ''Megalaima viridis''. ''

''. 4(4), 6–7. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1964): More about the Green Barbet ''Megalaima viridis''. ''

''. 4(9), 5–7. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1969): Nesting of the Wiretailed Swallow ''Hirundo smithii'' in Kerala. ''

''. 9(8), 6. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1965): Young Forest Eagle-Owl in captivity. Peacock 2(4), 18–19. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1965): Rare encounters. Peacock 2(6), 61–63. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1979): Pakshikalum manushyrum: Pakshinirikshanathinu oru amukham irds and men: An introduction to bird-watching The MacMillan Company of India Limited, Trivandrum. 80 pages. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1983): Comment. Mayura 4(3), 25. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1962): Plumage problems. ''

''. 2(3), 8–9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1962): Correspondence. ''

''. 2(3), 12–13. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1962): Courtship and mating of the Black Drongo. ''

''. 2(4), 9. * Neelakantan, K. K. (1962): Matins and vespers of 9 June 1957. ''

''. 2(5), 9-10. * Neelakantan, K. K.; Suresh Kumar,VK (1980): Occurrence of the Blackwinged Stilt (''Himantopus himantopus'') in Kerala. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 77(3), 510. * Neelakantan, K. K.; Sashikumar,C; Venugopalan,R (Eds.) (1993): A book of Kerala birds. Part 1. World Wide Fund for Nature-India. Kerala State Committee, Trivandrum. 143 pages.

References

Kerala Sahitya Academy's ''Sahityakara Directory''

External links

www.warblersandwaders.org''K K Neelakantan. A Life for Birds'' - Documentary (2017)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neelakantan, K. K. Indian ornithologists 1923 births 1992 deaths People from Palakkad district Malabar Christian College alumni Government Victoria College, Palakkad faculty Maharaja's College, Ernakulam faculty University College Thiruvananthapuram faculty Scientists from Kerala Indian non-fiction environmental writers Writers from Kerala 20th-century Indian zoologists