Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris

Etymology: 

• Gyps : Greek word gups – vulture.

• Tenuirostris : Latin word tenuis- slender; rostris –billed  { Slender billed}

 Distribution in India: Resident of Lower Himalayas from North West  to North east India & Ganges Delta .

Description: Size of 77–103 cm; wingspan 196–258 cm. It’s a medium-sized vulture , slightly larger and with slimmer neck, thinner bill, more angular crown, darker head . The neck lacks whitish down, darker dorsum and darker bill that is pale only on culmen. The head and neck have thick creases and wrinkles .The ear openings are large and more prominent. The Irides is dark brown, cere entirely blackish. The juvenile is like adult but with sparse pale down on hind neck; has darker neck skin and less down on neck.

Habitat: It is found  in open country and partially wooded areas in lowlands and foothills upto 1500 m . it is often found near villages and slaughterhouses.

Food habits: It eats  carrion, feeding on cattle and other livestock, wild ungulates and human corpses; also scavenges at rubbish dumps. It feeds in large groups with Gyps bengalensis and Sarcogyps calvus.

Breeding habits: They breed  in Oct–Mar. They build a compact nest of sticks in large tree; The nests are solitarily, sometimes near village. They lay a clutch of 1 egg . The incubation period is 50 days.