Gyps indicus

Gyps indicus (Information about this image)

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Accipitriformes

Familia: Accipitridae
Subfamilia: Aegypiinae
Genus: Gyps
Species: Gyps indicus
Name

Gyps indicus (Scopoli, 1786)

Original combination: Vultur indicus

References

Deliciae florae faunae insubricae 2 p.85
IUCN: Gyps indicus (Critically Endangered)

Vernacular names
العربية: نسر هندي
български: Индийски лешояд
भोजपुरी: भारतीय गिद्ध
বাংলা: ভারতীয় শকুন
brezhoneg: Gup India
català: Voltor de l'Índia
čeština: Sup indický
Cymraeg: Griffon gylfinhir
Deutsch: Indiengeier
Ελληνικά: Ινδικός γύπας
English: Long-billed Vulture
Esperanto: Hindia gipo
español: Buitre hindú
فارسی: کرکس هندی
suomi: Intiankorppikotka
français: Vautour indien
עברית: נשר הודי
हिन्दी: भारतीय गिद्ध
magyar: Hosszúcsőrű keselyű
日本語: インドハゲワシ
ಕನ್ನಡ: ರಣ ಹದ್ದು
മലയാളം: തവിട്ടു കഴുകൻ
मराठी: भारतीय गिधाड
Bahasa Melayu: Burung Hereng Paruh Panjang
नेपाली: लामो ठुँडे गिद्ध
Nederlands: Indische gier
norsk: Indiagribb
Diné bizaad: Biʼééʼ Łigaii Bikéyahdę́ę́ʼ jeeshóóʼ
polski: Sęp indyjski
پنجابی: ھندستانی گدھ
português: Abutre-de-bico-longo
русский: Индийский сип
svenska: Indisk gam
தமிழ்: கருங்கழுத்துப் பாறு
ไทย: แร้งสีน้ำตาล
татарча / tatarça: Һиндстан комае
українська: Сип індійський
Tiếng Việt: Kền kền Ấn Độ
中文: 長喙兀鷲

The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) is an Old World vulture native to India, Pakistan and Nepal. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2002, as the population severely declined. Indian vultures died of kidney failure caused by diclofenac poisoning.[1] It breeds mainly on hilly crags in central and peninsular India.

The slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) in the northern part of its range is considered a separate species.
Description
Close-up of Indian vulture in Mangaon

The Indian vulture is medium-sized and bulky. Its body and covert feathers are pale, its flight feathers are darker. Its wings are broad and its tail feathers are short. Its head and neck are almost bald, and its bill is rather long. It is 81–103 cm (32–41 in) long and has a wing span of 1.96–2.38 m (6.4–7.8 ft). As they are sexually dimorphic, males are larger than females.[3]

It weighs 5.5–6.3 kg (12–14 lb). It is smaller and less heavily built than the Eurasian griffon. It is distinguished from that species by its less buff body and wing coverts. It also lacks the whitish median covert bar shown by griffons.[4]
Behaviour and ecology
Indian vulture in Madhav National Park

The Indian vulture breeds mainly on cliffs in South and Central India, but is known to use trees to nest in Rajasthan. It may also breed on high human-made structures, like the Chaturbhuj Temple. Like other vultures, it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses, which it finds by soaring over savannah and around human habitation. It often congregates in flocks.
Status and conservation
Population decline
Indian vulture in flight
Main article: Indian vulture crisis

The Indian vulture and the white-rumped vulture, G. bengalensis species have suffered a 99%–97% population decrease in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. Between 2000-2007 annual decline rates of this species and the slender-billed vulture averaged over sixteen percent.[5] The cause of this has been identified as poisoning caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac. Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and when given to working animals it can reduce joint pain and so keep them working for longer. The drug is believed to be swallowed by vultures with the flesh of dead cattle who were given diclofenac in their last days of life.

Diclofenac causes kidney failure in several species of vultures. In March 2006 the Indian Government announced its support for a ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac. Another NSAID, meloxicam, has been found to be harmless to vultures and should prove to be an acceptable substitute for diclofenac. A rise in the production of meloxicam can bring its cost down to diclofenac's own levels, and make it more suitable for use. As of August 2011, banning diclofenac for veterinary use for approximately a year did not prevent diclofenac's use across India.[6] Small numbers of birds have bred across peninsular India, in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, especially in villages around Bangalore.[7] The decline in Indian vulture populations has drastically affected the conservation of the environment. By removing all carrion, vultures had helped decrease pollution, spread of diseases, and suppressed undesirable mammalian scavengers.[8] In their absence, the population of feral dogs and rats, along with their zoonotic diseases, has increased greatly.[9]
Captive-breeding programmes
Vultures in a nest in Orchha

Captive-breeding programmes for several species of Indian vulture have been started. The vultures are long lived and slow in breeding, so the programmes are expected to take decades. Vultures reach breeding age at about five years old. It is hoped that captive-bred birds will be released to the wild when the environment is clear of diclofenac.

In early 2014 the Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction (Save) programme announced that it expects to start releasing captive-bred birds into the wild by 2016.[10]

Two captive Himalayan griffons were released in June, 2016 from Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore as part of Asia's first vulture re-introduction program.[11]
References

BirdLife International (2021). "Gyps indicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22729731A204672586. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
Scopoli, J. A. (1786–88). "Aves". Deliciae Flora et Fauna Insubricae Ticini. An account including new descriptions of the birds and mammals collected by Pierre Sonnerat on his voyages. London: C. J. Clay. pp. 7–18.
Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D. A. (2001). "Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus". Raptors of the World. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 120. ISBN 0618127623.
"The Peregrine Fund". The Peregrine Fund. 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
"BirdLife Fact Sheet: Indian vulture". BirdLife International. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
Jagga, Raakhi (7 August 2011). "Banned diclofenac still kills vultures". Express India. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
Oppili, P. (7 November 2013). "Long-billed Vulture sighted after 40 years". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
Prakash, V.; Bishwakarma, M. C.; Chaudhary, A.; Cuthbert, R.; Dave, R.; Kulkarni, M.; Kumar, S.; Paudel, K. & Ranade, S. (2012). "The Population Decline of Gyps Vultures in India and Nepal Has Slowed since Veterinary Use of Diclofenac was Banned". PLOS ONE. 7 (11): e49118. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...749118P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049118. PMC 3492300. PMID 23145090.
Prakash, V.; Pain, D.J.; Cunningham, A.A.; Donald, P.F.; Prakash, N.; Verma, A.; Gargi, R.; Sivakumar, S. & Rahmani, A.R. (2003). "Catastrophic collapse of Indian white-backed Gyps bengalensis and long-billed Gyps indicus vulture populations". Biological Conservation. 109 (3): 381–390. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00164-7.
Kinver, M. (31 Jan 2014). "Project targets 2016 for Asian vultures release". BBC News. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
"Asia's first vulture re-introduction programme launched in Haryana".