Long-Billed Vulture

Long-Billed Vulture Latest News

Recently, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), along with the Maharashtra Forest Department, successfully carried out the tagging of 15 long-billed vultures at Melghat Tiger Reserve.

About Long-Billed Vulture

• It is an old World vulture native to the Asian region.
• They are also known as Indian long-billed vultures due to their comparatively longer beak. 
• Appearance: It is a medium-sized and bulky scavenger feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead animals.
• Females of this species are smaller than males.
• Habitat: They are usually found in savannas and other open habitats around villages, cities, and near cultivated areas.
• Distribution: These are native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
• Conservation status: IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Key Facts about Melghat Tiger Reserve

• Location: It is located in the Amaravati district of Maharashtra, specifically on the Gavilgarh Hill, a southern offshoot of the Satpura Hill Range in Central India.
• Vegetation: The forest is tropical dry deciduous in nature, dominated by teak.
• Rivers: The reserve is a catchment area for five major rivers: the Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga, and Dolar, all of which are tributaries of the river Tapti.
• The Tapti River and the Gawilgadh ridge of the Satpura Range form the boundaries of the reserve.
• Tribes: The Korkus are the largest tribal community in Melghat. Other communities include the Gawli community and the Gond tribe etc.
• Flora: Some of the common species are teak, Lagerstroemia Parviflora, Terminalia Tomentosa, Ougeinia Oojeinensis, Emblica Officinalis, Bamboo, etc.
• Fauna: It includes Sloth Bear, Indian Gaur, Sambar deer, Leopard, Nilgais, dhole, hyena, jungle cat, langur, etc.

Source: DH

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