How British artists painted Indian birds they had never seen

How British artists painted Indian birds they had never seen

At the Bombay Natural History Society in Mumbai’s Fort district, a jaunty black-and-white hornbill named William sits in profile against a bright yellow disc. The great hornbill is not the only bird to nest on the Society’s premises. There is a comb duck, a sandgrouse and a mallard, among several other species. Happily for intrepid birdwatchers, this flock is unlikely to take flight or swim away.William perches on the facade of the Society’s bui…