The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) is an Old World vulture native to Asia. This species has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2002 because its population severely declined.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Indian vulture is a medium-sized and bulky scavenger. Its body and covert feathers are pale, its flight feathers are darker. Its wings are broad and its tail feathers short. The head and neck are almost bald, and its bill is rather long. Females of this species are smaller than males.
Indian vultures are native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal. They are usually found in savannas and other open habitats around villages, cities, and near cultivated areas.
Indian vultures are social birds that often congregate in flocks. They are active during the day spending most of their time soaring over open areas looking for carcasses to gorge on. Indian vultures do not migrate but they may fly up to 100 km in a day when searching for food. They are generally silent, but when these vultures gather in groups around carcasses, they produce various grunts and hisses.
Indian vultures are scavengers, feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead animals.
The breeding season of Indian vultures takes place between November and March. They breed in colonies using mainly hilly crags; however, some populations may also nest in trees and high human-made structures. The female lays only one egg and both parents incubate it for about 45 days. The newly hatched chick is covered in down and remains in the nest within 3 months.
The Indian vulture has suffered a 97-99% population decrease due to poisoning caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac. This drug is toxic for vultures; it was given to working animals as it reduced joint pain and so kept them working for longer. The drug is believed to be swallowed by vultures with the flesh of dead cattle. Since then the use of this drug was banned and captive-breeding programs for Indian vultures have been started. The vultures are long-lived and slow in breeding, so the programs might take decades. It is hoped that captive-bred birds will be released to the wild when the environment is clear of diclofenac.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Indian vulture is 30,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
Vultures play a very important role in their native ecosystem by removing and processing carrion. The decline in the Indian vulture has drastically affected the conservation of the environment. By removing all carcasses, vultures had helped decrease pollution, disease spread and suppressed undesirable mammalian scavengers. In their absence, the population of feral dogs and rats, along with their zoonotic diseases, increases greatly.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...