'A great tree has fallen': Mumbai loses its 'bird man' Sunjoy Monga

"Birds teach, they are always revealing some secret, they act as a barometer of the city's general health," Sunjoy Monga had once told HT.

- Sabah Virani and Shreya Jachak

MUMBAI: "He was to go birding in Lokhandwala this weekend," said Ravi Vaidyanathan, his friend and partner in his lifelong obsession. It's a date he couldn't keep, for on Wednesday evening, Monga, 63, succumbed to a nine-year battle with blood cancer.

An award-winning wildlife photographer and author of several books on nature and birds, Monga was a beloved son of Mumbai. His advocacy for the natural world saw him write a regular column for HT titled 'Mumbai Safari'. He will also be remembered for his 'Bird Race', an annual bird-spotting event that inspired a love of birds in hundreds of Mumbaiites over the years. He's also left a treasure trove of writing for birders.

"A great tree has fallen," said Pravin Subramanian, who organised the Bird Race with Monga since 2007. "Monga started his bird-watching journey with legends like Humayun Abdulali and Salim Ali. Back then, there were only two books for bird enthusiasts to follow. Monga filled this void by writing comprehensible books for all."