Cinereous Vulture

About Cinereous Vulture

• It is also known as the Eurasian Black Vulture or monk vulture.
• It is one of the heaviest and largest raptors in the world.
• It is one of the two largest Old World vultures.
• It is an altitudinal migrant — which means it migrates from a higher to a lower altitude. 
• Habitat: This vulture is a bird of hilly, mountainous areas, especially favoring dry semi-open habitats such as meadows at high altitudes over much of the range.
• Distribution: It is a Eurasian species. It is mainly found in Spain and inland Portugal, South France, central Asia, northern India, northern Manchuria, Mongolia and Korea.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Near threatened
  • Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule IV

Key facts about the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located on the Southern Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli hill range on the Delhi-Haryana border.
• It is also part of the Sariska-Delhi Wildlife Corridor, which runs from the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to Delhi Ridge.
• Vegetation: The vegetation falls under the Northern Tropical Thorn Forests type.
• Climate: It is mainly influenced by its remote inland position and prevalence of air of continental character, which is characterized by extreme summer heat alternating with great winter cold.
• Flora: Consists of Prosopis juliflora as the dominant exotic species and Diospyros montana as the dominant native species in the sanctuary.
• Fauna: Golden Jackals, Striped-Hyenas, Indian crested-Porcupines, Civets, Jungle Cats, Snakes, Monitor Lizards, Mongoose etc.

Q1) What is Aravali Hill?

The Aravalli Range is one of the oldest mountains of the world which runs in a southwest direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 metres (5,650 ft).

Source: Rare vulture spotted at Asola Bhatti sanctuary