![]() I studied distribution of White-rumped Vultures in Himachal Pradesh using a stratified random sampling technique ( Snedecore and Cochran 1993), modified by sampling primarily areas connected by roads and apparently suitable habitats. I here report my investigation of the breeding ecology and distribution of this species in the state of Himachal Pradesh. No comprehensive studies on the breeding ecology and colony status of vultures have been conducted to date in Himachal Pradesh, despite the crucial importance of vultures as scavengers in the ecosystem, and the value of baseline data for management and conservation. Several short publications report various ecological and behavioral aspects of multiple species of vultures, including feeding ( Fox 1913, Smith 1915, Ezra 1918, Gough 1936, Livesey 1937, Grubh 1973), breeding ( Jones 1916, Gill 1921, Sharma 1970, Bhat 1992, Kanoje 1996) and interspecific interactions ( Grubh 1978a, 1978b, Arun and Azeez 2004). ![]() The breeding ecology and population dynamics of the White-rumped Vulture are poorly studied, with the exception of a doctoral thesis ( Grubh 1974) and a few related reports from the Gir forest, Gujarat ( Grubh 1978a, 1978b, 1986). Moreover, the Egyptian Vulture ( Neophron percnopterus) has been categorized as endangered and the Cinereous Vulture ( Aegypius monachus) has been classified as near-threatened ( IUCN 2007). Further, the Red-headed Vulture ( Sarcogyps calvus) has been recently upgraded to the critical category. Of these, three species endemic to South Asia, the White-rumped Vulture, Long-billed Vulture ( Gyps indicus), and Slender-billed Vulture ( Gyps tenuirostris), are at high risk of global extinction and are listed as critically endangered because of rapid population declines within the last decade on the Indian subcontinent. Currently, six of the nine species of vultures found in India have been classified as threatened or endangered due to population declines. Subsequently, this population crash was documented throughout the Indian subcontinent ( Prakash et al. Disturbance due to human activity and roads is a cause of concern for most of the breeding sites of White-rumped Vultures in Himachal Pradesh.Ĭatastrophic decline of vulture populations in the Indian subcontinent was first documented in Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, in Rajasthan in the 1990s ( Prakash 1999, Prakash et al. ![]() The number of adult and immature birds counted at the nesting colonies during the breeding season ranged from 13.3–27.3 individuals/colony the ratio of immatures/adults varied from 0.44–0.97. In 2011–2012, approximately 65% of the nests were newly built, possibly indicating a high percentage of intra-colony movements. All the nests of White-rumped Vultures were built in pine trees ( Pinus roxburghii), at an average height of 15.4 m. In 2011–2012, the colonies contained a total of 102 nests, at which 81 pairs bred successfully. Twenty-four breeding colonies of White-rumped Vultures were found, mainly in the Shahpur, Nurpur, and Kangra regions of Kangra District. I studied breeding ecology of White-rumped Vultures ( Gyps bengalensis) in Himachal Pradesh, northern India, 2009–2012.
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