Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| A2abce+4abce | A2abce+4abce | A2abce+4abce |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Critically Endangered | A2abce+4abce |
| 2016 | Critically Endangered | A2abce+3bce+4abce |
| 2015 | Critically Endangered | A2abce+3bce+4abce |
| 2013 | Critically Endangered | A2abce+3bce+4abce |
| 2012 | Critically Endangered | A2abce+3bce+4abce |
| 2009 | Critically Endangered | A2a,b,c,e; A3b,c,e; A4a,b,c,e |
| 2008 | Critically Endangered | |
| 2007 | Critically Endangered | |
| 2004 | Near Threatened | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Near Threatened | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Near Threatened | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | medium |
| Land-mass type |
Land-mass type - continent |
Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 5,230,000 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Value | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of mature individuals | 2500-9999 | poor | suspected | 2007 |
| Population trend | decreasing | medium | estimated | 1990-2025 |
| Decline % (10 years/3 generations past and future) | 80-99 | - | - | - |
| Generation length (years) | 11.51 | - | - | - |
Population justification: Given its rarity in South-East Asia it is unlikely that more than a few hundred individuals remain there, while the total population seems unlikely to exceed 10,000 mature individuals given the patchiness of its distribution across India and the apparently catastrophic very recent declines. In light of this it is placed in the band 2,500-9,999 mature individuals. This roughly equates to 3,750-14,999 individuals in total, here rounded to 3,500-15,000 individuals.
Trend justification: Cuthbert et al. (2006) recorded a decline of c.91% (range: 61-98%) in the number of individuals counted during surveys in India during 1992-2003, which equates to a decline of >99% (range: 94.8-99.9%) over three generations (34.53 years [Bird et al. 2020]). Similarly, Galligan et al. (2014) reported a decline of 94% from 1992 to 2003 in India, although there was evidence of a partial recovery during the late 2000s. The frequency of reports of Red-headed Vulture sightings on eBird declined by c.81% during 2000-2018, further indicating a steep population decline (SoIB 2020). Counts of vultures attending vulture restaurants in Cambodia showed fluctuating but relatively stable numbers of this species during 2004-2010, followed by a decreasing trend during 2010-2016, with a minimum population estimate of 58 individuals in 2006 and 26 individuals in 2016, equating to a decline of c.94% over three generations (Sum & Loveridge 2016; Loveridge et al. 2019). The population is therefore estimated to be declining at a rate of 80-99% over three generations.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bhutan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cambodia | extant | native | yes | |||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | |||
| India | extant | native | yes | |||
| Laos | extant | native | yes | |||
| Malaysia | possibly extinct | native | yes | |||
| Myanmar | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nepal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Pakistan | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Thailand | possibly extinct | native | yes | |||
| Vietnam | extant | native | yes |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Urban Areas | marginal | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | major | resident |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
| Savanna | Dry | suitable | resident |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 2500 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
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| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
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| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Unintentional effects (species is not the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
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| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Very Rapid Declines | High Impact: 8 | ||||||
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| Transportation & service corridors | Utility & service lines | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine - human & veterinary | - | - | non-trivial | recent | ||
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | - | - | international | non-trivial | recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Sarcogyps calvus. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-headed-vulture-sarcogyps-calvus on 22/09/2023.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org on 22/09/2023.
