Indian Vulture

Indian Vulture Latest News

Two Indian vultures released in the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Maharashtra’s Amravati district have been recently spotted near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh after covering a flight distance of over 1,000 km.

About Indian Vulture

• The Indian vulture, also called the long-billed vulture, is a bird of prey native to Asia.
• Scientific Name: Gyps indicus
• It is part of a group called ‘’Old World vultures’’. 
• They belong to the Accipitridae family, which includes eagles and hawks. 

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Indian Vulture Habitat and Distribution

• These are native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
• They are usually found in savannas and other open habitats around villages, cities, and near cultivated areas.
• It has suffered a 97-99% population decrease due to poisoning caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac. 
• It was given to working animals, as it reduced joint pain and so kept them working for longer. 
• Vultures got poisoned when they ate the meat of dead cattle that had been treated with diclofenac. This caused kidney failure in the vultures.

Indian Vulture Features

• It is a bulky medium-sized bird. Females of this species are smaller than males.
• They have a small, mostly bald head with few feathers. 
• It has a long, featherless neck, dark eyes, and a long, yellowish beak.  
• Its body and covert feathers are light brown. 
• Its wings are broad, and its tail feathers are short. 
• Its large wingspan allows it to fly long distances while using minimal energy. 

Indian Vulture Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Critically Endangered‘ under the IUCN Red List.

Key Facts about Melghat Tiger Reserve

• It is located in Maharashtra’s Amravati district. 
• Perched on the southern offshoot of the Satpura Hill Range, also known as the Gavilgarh Hills, the very name Melghat translates to “meeting of the ghats.” 
• It was the first tiger reserve in Maharashtra.
• Rivers: The Tapti River flows gracefully along the reserve’s northeastern boundary, while five tributaries—Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga, and Dolar—crisscross the sanctuary. 
• Tribes: The Korkus are the largest tribal community in Melghat. 
• Flore: 
• It is dominated by tropical dry deciduous forests. 
• Towering teak trees (Tectona grandis) dominate, interspersed with other valuable species such as Ain (Terminalia tomentosa), Haldu (Adina cordifolia), and Bamboo. 
• Fauna: 
• Sloth Bear, Indian Gaur, Sambar deer, Leopard, Nilgais, dhole, hyena, jungle cat, langur, etc. 
• It is considered a stronghold of the critically endangered forest owlet.

Source: DH