Slender-billed vulture

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Slender-billed vulture
Slender-billed Vulture, Mishmi Hills, India (cropped).jpg
Slender-billed Vulture in Arunachal Pradesh, India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Gyps
Species:
G. tenuirostris
Binomial name
Gyps tenuirostris
GypsBengalensisMap.svg
Distribution in blue
Synonyms

Gyps indicus tenuirostris
Gyps indicus nudiceps [5] [6]

Contents

The slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) is an Old World vulture species native to sub-Himalayan regions and Southeast Asia. It is Critically Endangered since 2002 as the population on the Indian subcontinent has declined rapidly. As of 2021, fewer than 870 mature individuals are thought to remain. [1]

It used to be the Indian vulture, under the name of “long-billed vulture”. However, these two species have non-overlapping distribution ranges and can be immediately told apart by trained observers, even at considerable distances. The Indian vulture is found only to the south of the Ganges and breeds on cliffs while the slender-billed vulture is found along and nests in trees.

Description

At 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in), in length, this mid-sized vulture is about the same size as its sister species, the Indian vulture. [7] The wingspan of the vulture ranges from 196 to 258 cm (77 to 102 in). The slender-billed vulture is commonly mistaken for the Indian vulture, but there are a few key differences that differentiate the two species, primarily its darker head, and bill that is thinner than its sister species. [8] This vulture is mostly grey with a pale rump and grey under-tail coverts. The thighs have whitish down. The neck is long, bare, skinnier than the Indian vulture and black. The black head is angular and narrow and its dark bill appears narrow midway, which also has a light spot on the culmen. [8] The ear opening is prominent and exposed, [9] and the head and neck are very wrinkled in contrast to its sister species.

Juvenile slender-billed vultures are extremely similar to adults save for the white down on the back base of its neck, which it loses as it matures. [8] Vultures do not show signs of sexual dimorphism, which is when the males and females of the species vary in appearance to each other, and the slender-billed vulture is no different. [10]

Distribution and habitat

The slender-billed vulture is found in India from the Gangetic plain north, west to Himachal Pradesh, south potentially as far as northern Odisha, and east through Assam. [11] It is also found in north and central Bangladesh, southern Nepal, Burma and Cambodia. [11] It also nests in trees, unlike its sister species the Indian vulture which nests on cliff sides. Commonly found in areas that have slaughterhouses and small civilizations. [8]

Slender-billed vultures in the eastern range of these areas are also highly fragmented from each other. [12] They typically are sedentary birds, and do not tend to travel large distances nor migrate for any reason. On occasion, slender-billed vultures will travel distances when scavenging for food, and have been recorded as well traversing past the borders of neighboring countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. [12] These records of movement have also decreased with the declining population.

Ecology and behavior

Breeding

The breeding season of this species occurs between the autumn and winter months of October and March, where a pair will build a large nest made of large, compact sticks high off of the ground where it is built into the branches of large trees. Typical breeding trees for this species tend to be quite large, ranging from 7 to 25 meters. [13] These vultures are solitary nesters, which means that will not nest in close proximity with any other nests. Once the pair and nest is established, slender-billed vultures almost exclusively lay one egg for each clutch, which takes around a month and a half (50 days) to incubate. [8]

Feeding

The slender-billed vulture, like many vultures, feeds on carrion, or carcasses of dead mammals. This primarily consists of cattle and other kinds of livestock as well as the occasional human carcass. Beyond any preexisting carrion that it can find, these vultures will also scavenge for scraps in dumpsters and dump sites. They also appear to be quite social with other vultures, [14] and has been spotted feeding in large groups also consisting of white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), and red-headed vultures (Sarcogyps calvus). [8]

Status and conservation

This species has suffered a marked decline in its numbers in recent years. The population of this species and the Indian vulture declined by 97% overall and in India annual decline rates for both species averaged over 16% between 2000–2007. As the slender-billed vulture has also recently been identified as its own species, there is a struggle to correctly identify the correct vulture to include in the recorded counts of the species. [14] Wild populations remain from northern and eastern India through southern Nepal and Bangladesh, with a small population in Burma. The only breeding colony in Southeast Asia is in the Steung Treng province of Cambodia. This colony is thought to number about 50–100 birds. The survival of the vultures in Cambodia may have been partly because diclofenac, which is poisonous to vultures, is not available there. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has placed the approximate number of slender-billed vultures living beyond confines at about 1,000 in 2009 and predictions estimate total extinction within the next decade amongst the wild population. [15] [16]

The slender-billed vulture is a protected species listed on the appendix II list of CITES, because its numbers have declined rapidly. Its decline is largely due to the use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac in working farm animals. Diclofenac is poisonous to vultures, causing kidney failure, and is being replaced by meloxicam (another NSAID), which is not toxic to vultures. [17] The retail sale of Diclofenac is banned by law in India; however, Diclofenac is still acquired illegally and applied to livestock. [15] In an effort to combat this, India has also limited the version of the drug for humans being sold in vials any larger than 3 mL in an attempt to discourage its illegal use on livestock, which would need a significantly higher dosage to show results. [14] However, it appears that there has been no evidence of Diclofenac in Cambodia, which has placed an emphasis on the preservation of the small population that still exists there, as they are less likely to have issues with breeding due to the presence of the drug. [14]

Captive-breeding programs in India are aiming to conserve the species, and it is hoped that vultures can be released back in the wild when the environment is free of diclofenac. [15] Joint efforts between the RSPB and the Zoological Society of London resulted in the first successful captive breeding in 2009. [15] Two slender-billed vultures hatched and are being independently cared for in Haryana and West Bengal. [16] [17]

Another form of conservation was the establishment of sites known as "vulture restaurants". [18] The purpose of these places were to have a place to supply local vulture populations with guaranteed safe carcasses for them to eat. These carcasses were typically supplied by farms that were confirmed not to have used Diclofenac on their animals. These vulture restaurants were also instated in areas with generally little food sources or nutrient poor food sources in an effort to provide the meager vulture populations with food. [18] As of 2017, a total of 51 slender-billed vultures had been spotted at various vulture restaurants. [19]

The group SAVE (Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction) has also begun in the past decade an effort to create a multitude of "Vulture Safe Zones", which are heavily protected areas that have at least a 100 km radius that aim to be created around crucial breeding populations of the species. The goal is to create a safe place for the vultures to reproduce again as well as achieving outreach to public and governmental groups. After breeding in captivity, the hope is that these zones would create a safe and stable environment to release the species into. As of 2014, there were 12 of these Vulture Safe Zones currently in the process of being established. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vulture</span> Common name for a type of bird

A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture. Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and South America and consist of seven identified species, all belonging to the Cathartidae family. A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald, unfeathered head. This bare skin is thought to keep the head clean when feeding, and also plays an important role in thermoregulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old World vulture</span> Informal group of birds

Old World vultures are vultures that are found in the Old World, i.e. the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, and which belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, buzzards, kites, and hawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian griffon vulture</span> Species of bird

The Eurasian griffon vulture is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It is also known as the griffon vulture, although this term is sometimes used for the genus as a whole. It is not to be confused with the Rüppell's vulture and Himalayan vulture. It is closely related to the white-backed vulture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayan vulture</span> Species of bird

The Himalayan vulture or Himalayan griffon vulture is an Old World vulture native to the Himalayas and foothills in North and Northeastern India, as well as the adjacent Tibetan Plateau. After the cinereous vulture, it is the second-largest Old World vulture species, and among the world's largest true raptors. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. It is not to be confused with the Eurasian griffon vulture, which is a visually similar, sympatric species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-rumped vulture</span> Species of bird

The white-rumped vulture is an Old World vulture native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000, as the population severely declined. White-rumped vultures die of kidney failure caused by diclofenac poisoning. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian vulture</span> Species of vulture

The Indian vulture or long-billed vulture is a bird of prey native to the Indian subcontinent. It is an Old World vulture belonging to the family of Accipitridae. It is a medium-sized vulture with a small, semi-bald head with little feathers, long beak, and wide dark colored wings. It breeds mainly on small cliffs and hilly crags in central India and south India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hooded vulture</span> Species of bird

The hooded vulture is an Old World vulture in the order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus Necrosyrtes, which is sister to the larger Gyps genus, both of which are a part of the Aegypiinae subfamily of Old World vultures. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it has a widespread distribution with populations in southern, East and West Africa. It is a scruffy-looking, small vulture with dark brown plumage, a long thin bill, bare crown, face and fore-neck, and a downy nape and hind-neck. Its face is usually a light red colour. It typically scavenges on carcasses of wildlife and domestic animals. Although it remains a common species with a stable population in the lower region of Casamance, some areas of The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau, other regions such as Dakar, Senegal, show more than 85% losses in population over the last 50 years. Threats include poisoning, hunting, loss of habitat and collisions with electricity infrastructure, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "critically endangered" in their latest assessment (2022). The highest current regional density of hooded vultures is in the western region of The Gambia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lappet-faced vulture</span> Species of bird

The lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture is an Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus Torgos. It is not closely related to the superficially similar New World vultures, and does not share the good sense of smell of some members of that family of birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-backed vulture</span> Species of bird

The white-backed vulture is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the most common vulture species in the continent of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinereous vulture</span> Species of bird

The cinereous vulture is a large raptor in the family Accipitridae and distributed through much of temperate Eurasia. It is also known as the black vulture, monk vulture and Eurasian black vulture. With a body length of 1.2 m, 3.1 m (10 ft) across the wings and a maximum weight of 14 kg (31 lb), it is the largest Old World vulture and largest member of the Accipitridae family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rüppell's vulture</span> Species of bird

Rüppell's vulture, also called Rüppell's griffon vulture, named after Eduard Rüppell, is a large bird of prey, mainly native to the Sahel region and East Africa. The former population of 22,000 has been decreasing due to loss of habitat, incidental poisoning, and other factors. Known also as Rüppell's griffon, Rueppell's griffon, Rüppell's griffin vulture, Rueppell's vulture and other variants, it is not to be confused with a different species, the griffon vulture. Rüppell's vulture is considered to be the highest-flying bird, with confirmed evidence of a flight at an altitude of 11,300 m (37,000 ft) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great knot</span> Species of bird

The great knot is a small wader. It is the largest species of the genus Calidris. They are a migratory bird which breeds in Siberia, Russia, and flies to southern Asia and Australia in the northern winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape vulture</span> Species of bird

The Cape vulture, also known as Cape griffon and Kolbe's vulture, is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. It is endemic to southern Africa, and lives mainly in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, and in some parts of northern Namibia. It nests on cliffs and lays one egg per year. In 2015, it had been classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, but was down-listed to Vulnerable in 2021 as some populations increased and have been stable since about 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-headed vulture</span> Species of bird

The red-headed vulture, also known as the Asian king vulture, Indian black vulture or Pondicherry vulture, is an Old World vulture mainly found in the Indian subcontinent, with small disjunct populations in some parts of Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-headed vulture</span> Species of bird

The white-headed vulture is an Old World vulture endemic to Africa. Populations have been declining steeply in recent years due to habitat degradation and poisoning of vultures at carcasses. An extinct relative was also present in the Indonesian island of Flores during the Late Pleistocene, indicating that the genus was more widespread in the past.

The Peregrine Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 1970 that conserves threatened and endangered birds of prey worldwide. The successful recovery of the peregrine falcon in the United States, which was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1999, enabled the organization to expand its mission to include other endangered raptors around the world. The Peregrine Fund is headquartered at its World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, on a 580-acre (2.3 km2) campus with breeding and research facilities, an administrative office, interpretive center, research library, and archives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian vulture crisis</span> Ecological crisis in Indian subcontinent

Nine species of vulture can be found living in India, but most are now in danger of extinction after a rapid and major population collapse in recent decades. In the early 1980s, three species of Gyps vultures had a combined estimated population of 40 million in South Asia, while in 2017 the total population numbered only 19,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore</span> Critically Endangered Bird Breeding Centre in Haryana, India

The Jatayu and Sparrow Conservation Breeding Centre (JCBC), is the world's largest facility for the breeding and conservation of Indian vultures and the house sparrow. It is located within the Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary in the town of Pinjore in the State of Haryana, India. It is run by the Haryana Forests Department and Bombay Natural History Society with the help of British nature conservation charity Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. It is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Pinjore and covers 5 acres (2.0 ha).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African vulture crisis</span> Ecological disaster in Africa

The African vulture crisis is an ongoing population decline in several Old World vulture species across Africa. Steep population declines have been reported from many locations across the continent since the early 2000s. The causes are mainly poisoning from baited animal carcasses, and the illegal trade in vulture body parts for traditional medicine. Available data suggest that the African vulture crisis may be similar in scale to the Indian vulture crisis, but more protracted and less well documented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction</span> Nonprofit organization

SAVE is a consortium of conservation groups focused on vulture conservation in Asia. Established with support from key organizations, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), SAVE aims to enhance coordination and unify conservation efforts across the region.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2021). "Gyps tenuirostris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T22729460A204781113. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. ↑ Gray, G.R. (1844). "Vulturinae, or Vultures". The genera of birds : comprising their generic characters, a notice of the habits of each genus, and an extensive list of species referred to their several genera. Vol. 1. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. pp. 5–6.
  3. ↑ Hume, A. O. (1878). "Gyps tenuirostris Hodgson". Stray Feathers. 7: 326.
  4. ↑ Deignan, H. G. (1946). "The correct names of three Asiatic birds" (PDF). Ibis. 88: 402–403. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1946.tb03492.x.
  5. ↑ Baker, ECS (1927) Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 47:151
  6. ↑ Rand, A. L. & Fleming, R. L. (1957). "Birds from Nepal". Fieldiana: Zoology. 41 (1): 55.
  7. ↑ Vulture facts Archived 2011-08-11 at the Wayback Machine (2011).
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 del Hoyo, Josep; Collar, Nigel; Marks, Jeffrey S. (2020). "Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.slbvul1.01species_shared.bow.project_name. ISSN   2771-3105.
  9. ↑ Rasmussen, PC & JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volume 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. p. 90.
  10. ↑ del Hoyo, Josep (1994). del Hoyo, Josep (ed.). New World vultures to guineafowl. Handbook of the birds of the world / hrsg. von Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal. Ort nicht ermittelbar: Verlag nicht ermittelbar. ISBN   978-84-87334-15-3.
  11. 1 2 Rare Birds Yearbook 2008. England: MagDig Media Lmtd. 2007. pp. 124–125. ISBN   978-0-9552607-3-5.
  12. 1 2 Botha, André; Andevski, Jovan; Bowden, Chris; Gudka, Masumi; Safford, Roger; Williams, Nick P. (2017). "Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures" (PDF). CMS Raptors MOU Technical Publication No. 5.
  13. ↑ Botha, André; Andevski, Jovan; Bowden, Chris; Gudka, Masumi; Safford, Roger; Williams, Nick P. (2017). "Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures" (PDF). CMS Raptors MOU Technical Publication No. 5.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) - BirdLife species factsheet". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Alleyne, R. (2009). "Endangered vulture could be saved thanks to help from RSPB". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2009-08-10. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  16. 1 2 "Indian vulture births are hailed". BBC News. 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  17. 1 2 Press Association (2009-08-06). "Boost for endangered vultures after captive breeding success". Guardian. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  18. 1 2 Gilbert, Martin; Watson, Richard T.; Ahmed, Shakeel; Asim, Muhammad; Johnson, Jeff A. (2007). "Vulture restaurants and their role in reducing diclofenac exposure in Asian vultures". Bird Conservation International. 17 (1): 63–77 – via ProQuest.
  19. ↑ Botha, André; Andevski, Jovan; Bowden, Chris; Gudka, Masumi; Safford, Roger; Williams, Nick P. (2017). "Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures" (PDF). CMS Raptors MOU Technical Publication No. 5.
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