Etymologically derived from Anglo-French vultur, Old French voutoir, voutre Latin earlier voltur, and perhaps related to vellere- "to pluck, tear"-the generic name ‘vulture’ does little justice the immense ecological role that vultures play in maintaining life support system of mother Earth. Given wide range topo-geographical features present State Uttarakhand, all 9 species Indian sub-continen...

In recent years, interactions between vultures and human activities have noticeably increased. These interactions include nuisance roosts, damage to homes and businesses, livestock depredation, and collisions with aircraft. One major factor contributing to the upsurge in vulture problems is higher numbers of these birds. Both turkey vultures and black vultures appear to be experiencing major po...

The illegal wildlife trade problem is worldwide in scope, affecting biodiversity conservation and human wellbeing. However, the has cultural dimensions. In addition to economic gain, influences drive trade. This paper examines drivers of vultures southwestern Nigeria, a pressing but understudied example which believed be major driver population declines West Africa. Semi-structured interviews r...

This study provides information on the current status of contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the tissues of endangered White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis in India. Chemical analyses revealed detectable amounts of PAHs, PCBs, and OCPs. Concentration ranges of ∑ PAHs, ∑ PCBs, and ∑ OCPs in tissues w...

A survey was carried out to investigate incidents of pesticide poisoning of the Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) in Spain during the period 1990-2006. A total of 241 incidents affecting 464 vultures were investigated to establish their causes: approved use, misuse, or deliberate abuse. Other factors studied were compounds, other species affected by the incident, the mode of application, sp...

Veterinary use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac on domesticated ungulates caused populations of resident Gyps vultures in the Indian sub-continent to collapse. The birds died when they fed on carrion from treated animals. Veterinary diclofenac was banned in 2006 and meloxicam was advocated as a 'vulture-safe' alternative. We examine the effectiveness of the 2006 ban, wheth...

Populations of the Gyps vultures of southern Asian countries have been declining precipitously during the recent past, especially in the western parts of its distributional range. A linkage between the common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ‘Diclofenac’ and the mortality of these vultures was established recently from Pakistan. However, any conclusive evidence on Diclofenac-poisoni...

Abstract Roost locations can be an important contributor to vulture conflicts with humans, but factors influencing roost-site selection at a landscape level remain largely unexplored. Further, there has been little research comparing how these vary between nocturnal and diurnal roosting sites. We used remote cameras document daily variation in use of 21 roosts (20 communication/water towers 1 n...