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Long-billed Vulture

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

               iLong-billed Vulture

                             Conservation status

   Critically endangered (CR)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Falconiformes
   Family:  Accipitridae
   Genus:   Gyps
   Species: G. indicus

                                Binomial name

   Gyps indicus
   ( Scopoli, 1786)

   The Long-billed Vulture, Gyps indicus, is an Old World vulture in the
   family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and
   hawks. It is closely related to the European Griffon Vulture, G.
   fulvus. Some sources treat the birds in the eastern part of its range
   as a separate species, the Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris.

   It breeds on crags or in trees in mountains in India and South-east
   Asia, laying one egg. Birds may form loose colonies. The population is
   mostly resident.

   Like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of
   dead animals which it finds by soaring over savannah and around human
   habitation. It often moves in flocks.

   The Long-billed Vulture is a typical vulture, with a bald head, very
   broad wings and short tail. It is smaller and less heavily-built than
   European 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 Griffon.

   This and the Indian White-rumped Vulture, G. bengalensis species have
   suffered a 99% - 97% decrease in India and the cause of this has been
   identified as poisoning caused by a veterinary drug Diclofenac.
   Diclofenac is a non-steroidal antiinflamatory drug (NSAID) and it is
   given to working animals to help prevent joint pain and so keep them
   working. The drug is believed to be swallowed by vultures with the
   flesh of dead cattle which have been given diclofenac in the last days
   of life. Diclofenac causes kidney failure in the birds. . In March 2005
   the Indian Government announced its support for a ban on the veterinary
   use of diclofenac. Meloxicam (another NSAID) has been found to be
   harmless to vultures and should prove to be an acceptable substitute.
   In March 2006 diclofenac was still being used for animals throughout
   India and the changes in Indian legislation are awaited. When meloxicam
   production is increased it is hoped that it will be as cheap as
   diclofenac.

Captive breeding programmes

   Captive breeding programmes for several species of Indian vultue 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 5 years old. It is hoped that captive breed birds will be
   released back to the wild when the invironment is clear of diclofenac.
   Head of Slender-billed Vulture
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   Head of Slender-billed Vulture
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