Observations on Migratory and Residential vultures in Jorbeer ...

Society ofApplied Sciences
ASIAN J. EXP. BIOL. SCI. VOL 2(3) 2011: 404-411
<strong>Observations</strong> on Migratory and Residential vultures in Jorbeer,
Rajasthan, India
Sonika Kushwaha* and Amita Kanaujia
Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow , Lucknow-226007, (Uttar Pradesh.), INDIA
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
ABSTRACT
Vultures are excellent indicators of the state of a healthy environment. In India there are 9 out of 15 Old World Vultures, while
Rajasthan has 7 species of vultures. Amongst them 4 [(King vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus),
Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), White-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Egyptian vulture (Neophron
percnopterus)] are residential while 3 [Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), Himalayan
Griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis)] are migratory. The survey was carried out within Jorbeer Region of Bikaner, Rajasthan
from December 2008 to February 2009. Direct observations were made at feeding and roosting sites to assess the population
size and different vulture activities. Large flocks of migratory and residential vultures were spotted, along with other raptors.
Maximum number were Griffon vultures while Cinereous vultures formed the minimum population. The abundance of
carcasses observed suggests there was no shortage of food. Vultures roosted on Khejari trees (Prosopis cineraria) and
electric poles. The trees were destroyed due to roosting and whitenings were seen almost on all the trees. No nests were
reported, although juveniles of all species were spotted. Carcasses of three Eurasian griffons and one Egyptian vulture were
found. This work will establish the Jorbeer region as an important area that harbours these species of conservation
importance.
KEY WORDS: Vultures, migratory, residential, roost, carcasses
INTRODUCTION
Vultures are excellent indicators of the state of a healthy environment. In India there are 9 out of 15 Old World
Vultures, while Rajasthan has 7 species of vultures. Amongst them 4 [(King vulture ( Sarcogyps calvus),
Long-billed
vulture ( Gyps indicus), Slender-billed vulture ( Gyps tenuirostris), White-backed vulture ( Gyps bengalensis),
Egyptian vulture ( Neophron percnopterus)] are residential while 3 [Cinereous vulture ( Aegypius monachus),
Griffon
vulture ( Gyps fulvus), Himalayan Griffon vulture ( Gyps himalayensis)]
are migratory. Studies monitoring vulture
population has only recently commenced in India [1] except the monitoring of breeding populations of Long-billed
vulture and population status of resident and migratory vulture populations in and around Jodhpur and Western
Rajasthan [2-4]. A variety of explanations and hypothesis have been proposed which include: a reduction in food
availability, poisoning, habitat loss, pesticides, Ca deficiency, infectious diseases or a viral disease [5-7]. Even after
the vulture alarm throughtout the world, especially in India and other South-east countries, the vulture decline still
continues, except for some particular regions where an increase in vulture population has been reported after banning
Diclofenac (in March, 2006 in India) and successful implementation of vulture Restuarants. Within the past years a
consensus has emerged that the vultures are being poisoned by Diclofenac residues, a widely used medicine for both
humans and livestock of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory group of drugs (NSAIDS) [8]. Gyps vultures are highly
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susceptible to it, to that extent that even very small doses (1/10 of a normal dose for mammals) are sufficient to
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<strong>Observations</strong> ……………………………………………………….......................................…..Rajasthan, India Sonika Kushwaha and Amita Kanaujia
produce visceral gout in vultures [9]. On the other and dicilofenac has been used in Indian veterinary practice since
1994-95(A.P. Mamtani, pers.commun.).It
has been widely used in Rajasthan (Rajendra Singh, Zonal Manager
INTAS, pers. Commun.).
But still vulture population breeds and survives in and around Jodhpur and many parts of
western Rajasthan [4]. Vultures are very sensitive to environmental changes because they are long-lived, need large
territories, have selective diet, are at the top of the food chain and have a low breeding rate. Therefore, they are
excellent indicators of the state of health of ecosystems [10]. The district of Bikaner has a total area of 27,284 sq. km.
Climate of Bikaner is very extreme i.e., it is either too hot or too cold. Since the city lies in a desert area it enjoys the
desert like climate i.e., hot, dry and humid. Hence, it remains hot almost throughout the year except during the winter,
w h e n t h e n i g h t s a r e v e r y c o o l .
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During the summer season, the weather in Bikaner gets too hot. The temperatures go up as much as 46 C during the
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day time. The nights are of some relief as the temperatures go down to around 36 C.
The climate at Bikaner is worsened during summer season when hot winds along with dust storms swipe the whole
desert area. Rainfall in Bikaner is very rare and even if it rains, the amount of waterfall recorded is very scanty. The
average rainfall received is in between 26 to 44 centimeters. The rainy season lasts from July to September. Similar to
other desert areas, mostly cactus and thorny bushes grow in this region. The soil type is basically alkaline. Some
seasonal dwarf trees, few types of shrubs and grasses also grow here. This paper reflects the observational studies of
migratory and residential vultures in Jorbeer Region of Bikaner, Rajasthan
.
MATERIALSAND METHODS
This survey was carried out within Jorbeer Region of Bikaner, Rajasthan from December 2008 to Feburary 2009.
Observational count
This method is simple but reliable for surveying vultures. With the aid of a pair of binoculars, four hours were used
each day to observe and record the birds of prey (vultures) within the area. This observation was done between the
hours of 11:00 am and 3:00 pm when raptors make use of thermals to soar high. This was carried out sitting at a point
with a good view of the surrounding landscape. The landscape was scanned and all individuals seen perched or flying
were counted. The area selected within the area, for the observation has large trees such as Khejari, Prosopis cineraria
that are used by vultures for roosting. All other observations of vultures during other activities in the area were noted.
These observations together gave as clear picture as possible of the current status of the different vulture species and
their populations in the area. [4].
RESULTSAND DISCUSSION
The Jorbeer region spread over an area of 20-25 km, is being one of the important winter grounds for local and
migratory species in India. During the study period which lasted between December to Feburary 2009,
large flocks
of the Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus) , the Egyptian vulture ( Neophron percnopterus) , and Cinereous vulture
( Aegypius monachus) , along with other raptors were spotted feeding on carrion. Other birds and animals in the study
region were crows ( Carvus splendevs, Carvus macrorhynchos), cattle ergrets ( Bubulcus ibis),
eagles and hawks, feral
Dogs (2-3 thousands), deers (10-15), blue bull (only 1 was seen, chased by dogs), snakes and mouse.
Migratory vultures are seen during the months of November to March. Vulture population gradually buildup from
October and reaches to its peak during December and January (Graph 1). While from March onwards their number
start decreasing and the entire vulture population including resident vultures thin down from May to August, with
increase in temperature, whereas the migratory species completely disappear from May to September in the Western
Rajasthan. (put graph 1)
GRAPH1: FOR GRIFFON, EGYPTIAN, AND CINEREOUS FOR MONTH OF DECEMBER, JANUARY AND
FEBURARY
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<strong>Observations</strong> ……………………………………………………….......................................…..Rajasthan, India Sonika Kushwaha and Amita Kanaujia
TABLE-1 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADULT AND JUVENILE OF THE VULTURE SPECIES
Maximum number were the Eurasian Griffon ( Gyps fulvus)
mostly seen in groups. Minimum number was that of
Cinereous vulture ( Aegypius monachus). Gyps fulvus are common breeding resident in hills of western Pakistan and
northern India and Nepal east to Sikkim. In winters widely in lowlands of Pakistan and northwest India south to
Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. They also occur in South Europe, North Africa, West and Central Asia. Eurasian Black
Vulture ( Aegypius monachus) is mainly scarce winter visitor to northern mountains and river valleys in India. A few
pairs probably breed in Pakistan. It also ranges from Spain to Mongolia and to the South in China and Tibet, but is
extinct from many parts of world like Morocco, Portugal, Italy, Romania, Yugoslavia and from France it became
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extinct long ago (17 century) whereas its population is maintained in Spain, Greece, Balkans and one pair in Bulgaria
[11]. They are not gregarious and were usually seen in pairs or small groups. Their large size enables them to be more
dominating than other species of vultures at chosen feeding sites. They have not been observed hunting live prey.
Egyptian vultures are fairly common throughout India. Also occurs in South Europe, Africa and Western and Central
Asia. The immatures and adults of Egyptian vultures could be clearly distinguished from the external features, same
was the case with the Cinereous vulture ( Aegypius monachus) (Table-2)
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. TABLE-2: TOTAL VULTURE POPULATION OBSERVED ON SOME PARTICULAR DAYS
The occurrence of adult Egyptian vulture to that of juveniles was in the ratio of 4:1 while that of adult and juvenile
cinereous vulture was 3:1.Astudy on the seasonal abundances and distributions of vultures was done by Bildstein and
Bechard [12]. But they studied black vultures ( Coragyps atratus) and turkey vultures ( Cathartes aura) in Costa Rica
and Panama in 2005. Their survey results indicated substantial seasonal shifts in the numbers of both Black vultures
and Turkey vultures in Costa Rica, Western and Central Panama. In winter, numbers of black vultures declined by
33% in Costa Rica, remained the same in Western Panama, and increased by 132% in Central Panama. By
comparison, in winter, numbers of turkey vultures remained the same in both Costa Rica and western Panama, but
increased by more than 500% in Central Panama. These differences were also attributed to migratory movements as is
the case in Jorbeer.
Jorbeer is the dumping site for dead animals. All sort of animals are brought here, such as cattles, camels, horses etc.
The number of dead animals ranges from 15-25 daily; these include carcasses of cattles, horses, camels etc. About 35
dead camels were brought during last 3 months (Nov.-Jan). So there is no food scarcity for vultures and other animals.
Food abundance is resulting in fast multiplication of stray dogs and other raptors. The carcasses that are dumped in
Jorbeer are not tested for the presence of diclofenac.
The vulture population observed on some particular days are given in table 2. Thousands of different vultures were
seen exhibiting different activities, such as feeding, roosting and flying (Table 3). They were seen feeding between
11:15 am to 1:30 pm (FigA). The distensible crop and gizzard of vultures can hold large amounts of meat.
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<strong>Observations</strong> ……………………………………………………….......................................…..Rajasthan, India Sonika Kushwaha and Amita Kanaujia
Table 3: For Resting, Flying And Feeding For Vulture Population ForThe Month Of February.
Total no of Vultures
observed per week
Activities
Flying Feeding Resting
1 st week. 605 280 125 200
2 nd week. 592 200 150 242
3 rd week. 620 300 164 156
4 th week. 608 321 167 110
Average : 605 275 152 177
FigA: Vulture Species Feeding On Carcasses [Picture: Sonika]
Vultures can voluntarily fast for a week. They can eat decaying meat which contains poisonous substances fatal to
other animals. The gland system of their proventriculus secretes abundant digestive juices which make poisonous
products harmless through decomposition [13].
They start forming groups slowly and slowly. The group consists of atleast 50-60 vultures. It takes 30-40 minutes to
form a group. The group consists of all vulture species (Fig C & D).The Eurasian Black Vulture ( Aegypius monachus)
were seen in solitude also, with just one or two individuals of the same species (Fig B).
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B: Eurasian Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) in solitude Fig C Coming down for group formation
Fig D : G roup formation by vultures Fig E: V ultures roosting on K hejari, Prosopis cineraria
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<strong>Observations</strong> ……………………………………………………….......................................…..Rajasthan, India Sonika Kushwaha and Amita Kanaujia
Vultures are quiet and calm birds; they don't counter-attack crows or dogs even when disturbed by them. Dogs were
often seen disturbing the vultures during feeding, inspite of abundance of food availability. The shy vultures, when
disturbed from an animal corpse, do not return at once, except for the residential Egyptian vultures.They roost on trees
(Khejari- Prosopis cineraria)
and electric poles (Fig E). No nests were reported. The Khejari trees were destroyed due
to vulture roosting. Whitening was seen almost on all the trees in that area.
At each meal the birds will gorge themselves on up to 300-500 grams of carrion per day. Once satisfied and have the
crop, throat and neck are distended, they relax back on their tails, wings spread to provide balance and mouth hanging
open (Fig F-I & F-II).
F I F II
It will be about an hour before the meal is digested enough for the birds to take flight once more and the takeoff is very
labour-intensive involving much running and leaping across the plains
The region was opportunistically searched for dead vultures. Three Eurasian griffons and one Egyptian vulture were
found dead (Fig G-I, G-II, G-III, G-IV) (Put figures). The carcasses were in bad condition showing advanced stage of
autolysis. Bones and feathers were collected from all the available samples for further studies. The death of two was
due to unknown reasons, while two died because of fighting behaviour. Every year at least 5-6 vultures die. The
number can be more, the area is wide spread.Ample number of moulted feathers was seen scattered in the whole area.
One injured vulture is residing since last 3 years. It is a migratory vulture with one injured wing. No 'head drooping'
behaviour was seen in any bird. No sick and diseased vultures were reported by Chhangani in western Rajastan [14].A
raptor survey work over several years by Rondeau and Thiollay [15] in the Sudano- Sahelian Savannas of Burkina
Faso, Mali and Niger showed a drastic decrease in the population of vulture species in the last 30 years both in
protected and unprotected areas. This situation is very catastrophic and therefore demands immediate conservational
efforts to conserve areas that still harbour these species so that we can save the few that are still remaining.Chhangani
G I G II
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<strong>Observations</strong> ……………………………………………………….......................................…..Rajasthan, India Sonika Kushwaha and Amita Kanaujia
Fig G- Death in the desert :I,II, III
Eurasian Griffon ( Gyps fulvus) IV: Egyptian vulture ( Neophron percnopterus)
studied the population ecology of vultures in Western Rajasthan. According to his views in the absence of detailed
investigation and management strategy specific to Indian conditions, activities like captive breeding and release may
not yield the expected results in vulture conservation [2].
The study shows that the region holds large population of migratory and residential vultures during the winter months.
The region demands for a yearly survey of the vultures in order to monitor the population and establish the status of the
various species. This work will establish the Jorbeer region as an important area that harbours these species of
conservation importance.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thanks are due to the Bikaner Forest Department Officials of Rajasthan for providing the permission to carry out the
study. We wish to thank Mr. Arun Kant Saxena (I.F.S., Bikaner) for his valuable time and guidance. Co-operation of
Mr. Mukesh, the care-taker at Jorbeer are greatly acknowledged. We express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Meenakhi
Srivastava, Head of Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow for her valuable assistance. We would
particularly like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. D Swarup (Head Division of Medicine, IVRI, Izatnagar, Uttar
Pradesh) and Dr.Anil Chhangani (Member, IUCN, Birds & Mammals Breeding Specialist Group, Department of
Zoology, J.N.V. University, Jodhpur-Rajasthan) who are a constant source of inspiration and guidance.
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Correspondence to Author : Sonika Kushwaha C/O Dr.Amita Kanaujia, 5/277, Viramkhand, Gomtinagar, Lucknow -
226010. Uttar Pradesh, INDIA.E-mail: sonika_33@rediffmail.com, sonika.jhs@gmail.com
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