White-Rumped Vulture

About White-Rumped Vulture :

• It is a medium-sized Old World vulture.
• Scientific name: Gyps bengalensis
• It is also known as Indian White-backed Vulture or Oriental White-backed Vulture.
• Distribution: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam.
• Habitat: Found mostly in plains and less frequently in hilly regions. It can also be seen in villages and cities near to cultivation.
• Population:
  • In the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals, and it was thought to be “the most abundant large bird of prey in the world”.
  • As of 2021, the global population was estimated at less than 6,000 mature individuals.
• Features:
  • It is a typical, medium-sized vulture, with an unfeathered head and neck, very broad wings, and short tail feathers.
  • Adults are 75 to 85 cm tall, their wing span is 180 to 210 cm, and their weight ranges from 3.5 to 7.5 kg.
  • The sexes are approximately equal in size.
  • Adults are darker than juveniles, with blackish plumage, a white neck-ruff, and a white patch of feathers on the lower back and upper tail, from which their common name is derived.
  • There is a pale grey patch on the upper surface of the wings, visible when the wings are folded. The undersides of the wings are a dark slate to brownish color.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered
  • Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule-1

Q1) What is an Old World vulture?

Old World vultures is the common designation for various large birds within the family Accipitridae, characterized by a head with few or no feathers, the lack of a perforate nasal septum, keen sight, good soaring ability, a poor sense of smell, and generally by scavenging behavior, feeding primarily on carrion. Old World vultures only comprise part of the family: Accipitridae also includes eagles, buzzards, kites, and hawks.

Source: Bhopal: 20 White-Rumped Vultures Brought From Haryana

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