HIMALAYAN GRIFFON VULTURES

Dec. 30, 2018

Recently, Himalayan griffon vultures were sighted in Telangana. This is one of rare instance, where the huge bird from the north is being sighted in the southern parts. This makes for a new distribution of the Old World vulture.

About:

Common name: Himalayan vulture.
Scientific name: Gyps himalayensis.
It is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. It is one of the two largest Old World vultures and true raptors.
Distribution: This species is found along the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status: Near Threatened species.
Threat:
- Himalayan vultures are also susceptible to toxicity induced by diclofenac, a drug whose residues in domestic animal carcasses.
- But their population have however not shown signs of rapid decline as witnessed in populations of other Gyps vultures across Asia.