Slender-billed Vulture
Gyps tenuirostris
长嘴兀鹫
Introduction
Old World vulture species native to sub-Himalayan regions and Southeast Asia. Critically Endangered since 2002, with fewer than 870 mature individuals remaining as of 2021. Formerly classified as the Indian vulture under the name 'long-billed vulture' but recognized as a separate species with non-overlapping distribution. Distinguished from the Indian vulture by its tree-nesting behavior rather than cliff-nesting.
Description
Mid-sized vulture measuring 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in) in length with a wingspan of 196 to 258 cm (77 to 102 in). Plumage is predominantly grey with a pale rump and grey under-tail coverts. The thighs display whitish down. The species has a distinctive long, bare, skinny black neck and a black angular narrow head. The dark bill appears narrow midway with a light spot on the culmen. A prominent and exposed ear opening distinguishes this species, along with notably wrinkled head and neck. No sexual dimorphism exists between males and females. Juveniles are similar to adults but possess white down at the back base of the neck, which is lost during maturation.
Identification
Frequently mistaken for the Indian vulture but can be distinguished by its darker head and thinner bill. The black head is angular and narrower compared to its sister species. The ear opening is prominently exposed, and the head and neck are very wrinkled in contrast. The neck is skinnier than that of the Indian vulture. Even at considerable distances, trained observers can identify this species by its combination of dark head, narrow bill, and exposed ear opening.
Distribution & Habitat
Found in India from the Gangetic plain north, west to Himachal Pradesh, potentially as far south as northern Odisha, and east through Assam. Also occurs in north and central Bangladesh, southern Nepal, Burma, and Cambodia. The only known Southeast Asian breeding colony is in Steung Treng province of Cambodia, numbering approximately 50-100 birds. Nests in trees, unlike the cliff-nesting Indian vulture. Inhabits areas near slaughterhouses and human settlements. Populations are highly fragmented, particularly in the eastern range. Birds are largely sedentary but may travel short distances for scavenging, with occasional records from Laos and Vietnam. These movements have declined as populations decrease.
Behavior & Ecology
Breeding occurs from October to March. Solitary nesters build large stick nests in the branches of large trees, typically 7 to 25 meters high. Pairs lay a single egg per clutch, incubated for approximately 50 days. Feeds primarily on carrion, including cattle, livestock, and occasionally human carcasses, also scavenging at dumpsters and waste sites. Social feeder, observed in groups with white-rumped vultures and red-headed vultures. Vocalizations are not described in available sources.
Conservation
Critically Endangered with a population decline of 97% overall in India. Annual decline rates exceeded 16% between 2000-2007. Approximately 1,000 individuals estimated in 2009, with predictions of extinction within a decade without intervention. Primary threat is diclofenac, a veterinary NSAID causing kidney failure in vultures. Although banned in India, illegal use continues. Captive breeding programs have succeeded, with two chicks hatched in 2009 in Haryana and West Bengal. Conservation efforts include vulture restaurants providing safe carcasses, and SAVE (Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction) has established 12 Vulture Safe Zones since 2014. Listed on CITES Appendix II. The Cambodian population remains relatively secure due to absence of diclofenac.
Culture
No cultural significance or folklore documented in available sources.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Gyps
- eBird Code
- slbvul1
Distribution
Kashmir through base of Himalayas to southeastern Asia
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.