Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus) – a new species for Nepal

Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), Photo by Robert DeCandido, 

English name:              Indian Vulture

Latin Name:                Gyps indicus

Nepali Name:              Lamothunde Giddha

Starting from mid November 2011, I was leading the team of international raptor biologist for a month long raptor survey trip in many parts of Nepal. On 1 Dec 2011, we were surveying raptors in east Nawalparasi, within Buffer Zone forest of Chitwan National Park. When I first noticed, pair of Indian vulture were soaring with small flock of White-backed vulture Gyps bengalensis.

Indian vulture is a medium-large vulture, typical of Gyps species, somehow confusing with Slender-billed vulture Gyps tenuirostris. However, there are many distinctive characters we can study them to easy identification. Most distinctive features of this species are; Adults have blackish head with pale down on upper hindneck and pale yellowish heavy bill, during the flight we can see darker head crop with white ruff-sides. Juvenile birds have pinkish head/neck completely covered with white down and dark bill with paler culmen and base. During the flight tips of toes do not reach to the end of short rounded tail. They have slate legs with pale yellowish talons and contrasting darker toes, blackish primaries and darker tail than browner secondaries, secondaries more or less uniform  in size, pale under tail coverts.

Formerly it was believed to be distributed in peninsular India south of the Gangetic plain, barely reaching eastern most Pakistan in the west, extending locally east through Madhya Pradesh and south to the Nilgiris. Now our study has confirmed this species is also found in Nepal. The record was positively verified by the Nepal Rare Bird Council also. Due to the effect of veterinary diclofenac (a drug used to treat livestock in pain inflammation and fever), population has declined very rapidly (>97%) in last one and half decade in the species range. IUCNhas  listed this species as a critically endangered species since 2000. This is first record to Nepal, hence species distribution range and Nepalese population is unknown. Therefore, we are doing ecological study and conservation projects on Indian vulture in many parts of Nepal.

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