Indian Vulture
Gyps indicus
Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusGyps (Griffon Vultures)
- SpeciesGyps indicus (Indian Vulture)
About the Indian Vulture
The Indian vulture or long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) 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.
The Indian vulture is a keystone species that has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2002, as the population has severely declined during the Indian vulture crisis. It is estimated that there are 5,000-15,000 mature individuals in the wild. The main cause of the decline was identified as kidney failure caused by the drug diclofenac, which was commonly given to cattle to reduce joint pain. It is thought that diclofenac poisoned vultures that ate the flesh of dead cattle. Diclofenac bans were enacted in India, Pakistan and Nepal in 2006.
The bird shares its habitat with other vulture species in the same genus (particularly the slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis)) in some parts of its range. The Indian vulture is placed... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Indian Vulture in Kanha National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kanha National Park
Indian White-rumped Vulture
Gyps bengalensis
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
Himalayan Vulture
Gyps himalayensis
Crested Serpent Eagle
Spilornis cheela
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Crested Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus cirrhatus
Himalayan Buzzard
Buteo refectus
Gray-headed Fish-Eagle
Icthyophaga ichthyaetus
White-eyed Buzzard
Butastur teesa
Red-headed Vulture
Sarcogyps calvus
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 8 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 11 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Indian Vulture in Kanha National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Indian Vulture sighting in Kanha National Park, based on 1,022 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Indian Vulture in Kanha National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Indian Vulture in Kanha National Park in our monthly data.