Slender-billed Vulture

Slender-billed Vulture Latest News

Recently, five slender-billed vultures bred in captivity at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)’s conservation facility in Assam were released into the wild. 

About Slender-billed Vulture

• The slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris ) is an Old World vulture species native to sub-Himalayan.
• Habitat: Wetlands and wooded areas and also in open countryside.
• Distribution: It is found in India from the Gangetic plain north, west to Himachal Pradesh, south potentially as far as northern Odisha, and east through Assam.
  • It is also found in north and central Bangladesh, southern Nepal, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
• Characteristics
  • They are characterised by their long, slender necks, pale underparts and their dark, thin bills.
  • Unlike other vultures, they are not that common in areas close to human habitation.
  • Diet: They feed on carrion, and large flocks are often seen near carcasses.
  • Behavior: It is very good at gliding and always away on search flights to find new food.
• Reasons for its population decline: These are exposed to diclofenac (and other Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs [NSAIDs]) through scavenging on the carcasses of largely cattle and buffalo that had been treated prior to death.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red list: Critically Endangered
  • Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I

Source: TH

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