Eco-Biology, Threats and Conservation Problems of Indian Vulture in Southern Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Vultures are very efficient and powerful natural scavengers in ecosystem, they usually feed upon carcass of domestic and wild animals. India is a home of nine specie of vultures they are very sensitive towards changes in habitat and climatic conditions. Vultures required large territories, selective diet and unique habitats for its survival. Vulture populations dramatically and rapidly declined from last 30 years due to acute and chronic renal failure and avian gout disease. Major reasons of vulture declined due to extensive use of veterinary drugs like diclofenac, ketofenac, fluxin, carprofen and nimesulide for treatment of domestic animals in various diseases. Other factor also responsible for vulture’s population declined due to habitat destruction, lack of roosting and nesting habitat, mortality due to electrocution and collision with wind turbine, road killing and low reproductive success rate responsible for its survival and population decline. Male and female of Indian vultures are morphologically similar in shape and size. Vulture’s having slow breeding rate and usually laid single egg per year or in every breeding season. Vultures collectively feed upon carrion and sometime inter & intra specific competition observed at feeding and roosting times. Indian vulture usually construct nest upon rock cliffs and old historical monuments area where cliffs are absent they generally construct nest on large and old trees. GPS tagging and satellite monitoring helpful for finding daily, seasonal, local and global migratory route of species.