The Search for the Pink-Headed Duck

I enjoyed the structure of this book. The author visits various places in north-east India, in between battling the bureaucracy of New Delhi, where he returns between trips to obtain permission for the next step. The premise of the trip, of course, is to locate the thought-to-be-extinct pink-headed duck. But it seems to me the pink-headed duck is something of an excuse to get into some of the more remote parts of India. And while there is a bit of ornithological carry-on in the book, there is certainly not too much for those not that way inclined... it doesn't fixate, and actually covers off some other animals in equally as much detail.

On his search for the duck, the authors interaction with people makes interesting reading. Market salespeople, a bus driver, Gurkha ‘terrorists', boys on the street, even a tantric cult leader. They all form a part of the narrative, along with most of the bureaucrats who he also managed to charm. As well as people, Calcutta, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Assam and the length of the Brahmaputra, as well as New Delhi are the locations visited, and they offer a good variation of setting.

I can't help but find the final couple of chapters were rushed. Perhaps it was the case with his actual travel, and he was being true to his experience in his writing, but the story did just seem to peter out. It also seems to me with a lot of books in this genre that there is either some artistic licence around the events (there are some bizarre things and some fantastic coincidences in the events of the book), or that the events occur over longer or multiple trips and the chaff is all removed from the wheat... I can't really say which is the case. Notwithstanding these ‘criticisms', this is still a very readable and enjoyable book, and for those with a mild interest in ducks, or northeastern India, or vicarious adventure, give it a go.

So did he rediscover the pink-headed duck? Well, he doesn't say. He goes so far as to say 'he thinks so, but isn't sure.' So normally when I have to use those phrases, it means 'Nope, I didn't but it seems like after all the buildup I probably should have... sorry'. So it leaves the door open for the readers own conclusion, but Wikipedia advises that "In 1988, Rory Nugent, an American birder, and Shankar Barua of Delhi, reported spotting the elusive bird on the banks of the Brahmaputra... However, Nugent and Barua's claimed sighting has not been widely accepted." Wikipedia goes on to say that the pink-headed duck has had its status changed from extinct to critically endangered.