Data Zone
Anon. 2008. Local increase in vultures thanks to diclofenac campaign in Nepal. Buceros 13(2): 5.
Bird, J.P., Martin, R., Akçakaya, H.R., Gilroy, J., Burfield, I.J., Garnett, S.G., Symes, A., Taylor, J., Şekercioğlu, Ç.H. and Butchart, S.H.M. 2020. Generation lengths of the world’s birds and their implications for extinction risk. Conservation Biology 34(5): 1252-1261. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13486.
BirdLife International. 2008. Drugs firms told to do more to prevent vulture extinctions. Available at: http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/08/indian_drug_announcemment.html.
Bombay Natural History Society. 2004. Report of the International South Asian Vulture Recovery Plan Workshop. Buceros: 1-48.
Botha, A.J.; Andevski, J.; Bowden, C.G.R.; Gudka, M.; Safford, R.J.; Tavares, J.; Williams, N. P. 2017. Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures. MS Raptors MOU Technical Publication No. 5. CMS Technical Series No. xx. Coordinating Unit of the CMS Raptors MOU, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Available at: http://www.cms.int/sites/default/files/document/cms_cop12_doc.24.1.4_annex3_vulture-msap_e.pdf.
Bowden, C.G.R., Prakash, V., Ranade, S., Routh, A., Jakati, R.D., Cuthbert, R.J., Rahmani, A.R., Green, R.E., Prakash and N., Parry-Jones, J. 2012. Conservation breeding for the future release of the Critically Endangered Asian Gyps vultures – Progress of the programme in South Asia and why it is so important. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 109(1&2): 43-45.
Chaudhry, M.J.I., Ogada, D.L., Malik, R.N., Virani, M.Z. and Giovanni, M.D. 2012. First evidence that populations of the critically endangered Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus in Pakistan have increased following the ban of the toxic veterinary drug diclofenac in south Asia. Bird Conservation International 22(4): 389-397.
Chhangani, A. K. 2004. Status of a breeding population of Long-billed Vultures Gyps indicus indicus in and around Jodhpur (Rajasthan), India. Vulture News 50: 15-22.
Collar, N., Chen, H. and Crosby, M. 2001. Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
Cuthbert R. J., Prakash, V., Saini, M., Upreti, S., Swarup, D., Sharma, A. K., Das, A., Green, R. E. and Taggart, M. 2011a. Are conservation actions reducing the threat to India’s vulture populations? Current Science 101: 1480-1481.
Cuthbert, R. J., Dave, R., Chakraborty, S. S., Kumar, S., Prakash, S., Ranade, S. P. and Prakash, V. 2011b. Assessing the ongoing threat from veterinary NSAIDs to critically endangered Gyps vultures in India. Oryx 45: 420-426.
Cuthbert, R., Taggart, M. A., Prakash, V., Saini, M., Swarup, D., Mateo, R., Chakraborty, S. S., Deori, P. and Green, R. 2011c. Effectiveness of Action in India to Reduce Exposure of Gyps Vultures to the Toxic Veterinary Drug Diclofenac. PLoS One 6(5): e19069. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019069.
Cuthbert, R.J., Taggart, M.A., Prakash, V., Chakraborty, S.S., Deori, P., Galligan, T.H., Kulkarni, M.D., Ranade, Saini, M., Sharma, A., S., Shringarpure, R.N., & Green, R.E. 2014. Avian scavengers and the threat from veterinary pharmaceuticals. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 369: 20130574.
Cuthbert, R.J., Taggart, M.A., Saini, M., Sharma, A., Das, A., Kulkarni, M.D., Deori, P., Ranade, S., Shringarpure, R.N., Galligan, T.H. & Green, R.E. 2016. Continuing mortality of vultures in India associated with illegal veterinary use of diclofenac and a potential threat from nimesulide. Oryx 50: 104-112.
DNPWC. 2015. Vulture Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2015—2019). Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Government of Nepal, Kathmandu.
Ellis, C. 2004. Of Gyps vultures, gypsies and satellite technology. Peregrine Fund Newsletter no 35: 14-15.
Galligan, T. 2013. Good news for vulture conservation in South Asia. BirdingASIA 19: 107-108.
Galligan, T. H.; Taggart, M. A.; Cuthbert, R. J.; Svobodova, D.; Chipangura, J.; Alderson, D.; Prakash, V. M.; Naidoo, V. 2016. Metabolism of aceclofenac in cattle to vulture-killing diclofenac. Conservation Biology 30(5): 1122-1127.
Gautam, R.; Tamang, B.;Baral, N. 2003. Ecological studies on White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis in Rampur valley, Palpa, Nepal.
Gilbert, M.; Watson, R. T.; Virani, M. Z.; Oaks, J. L.; Ahmed, S.; Chaudhry, M. J. I.; Arshad, M.; Mahmood, S.; Ali, A.; Khan, A. A. 2006. Rapid population declines and mortality clusters in three Oriental White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis colonies in Pakistan due to diclofenac poisoning. Oryx 40(4): 388-399.
Green, R.E.; Newton, I.; Shultz, S.; Cunningham, A. A.; Gilbert, M.; Pain, D.J.; Prakash, V. 2004. Diclofenac poisoning as a cause of vulture population declines across the Indian subcontinent. Journal of Applied Ecology 41: 793-800.
Hall, C. H., Chhangani, A. K., Waite, T. & Hamilton, I. M. 2012. The impacts of La Niña-induced drought on Indian Vulture Gyps indicus populations in Western Rajasthan. Bird Conservation International 22(3): 247-259.
IUCN. 2021. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-3. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 09 December 2021).
Lindsay, N. 2008. South Asia vulture recovery programme: WAZA Project 08001. WAZA News: 15.
McClure, C. J. W., Rolek, B. W. & Virani, M. Z. 2021. Contrasting Trends in Abundance of Indian Vultures (Gyps indicus) Between Two Study Sites in Neighboring Indian States. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 9: 629482.
MoEFCC. 2020. Action Plan for Vulture Conservation in India, 2020-2025. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Mukherjee, A., Galligan, T.H., Prakash, V., Paudel, K., Khan, U., Prakash, S., Ranade, S., Shastri, K., Dave, R., Donald, P. and Bowden, C. 2014. Vulture Safe Zones to save Gyps Vultures in South Asia. Mistnet 15(3): 4-9.
Naidoo, V.; Wolter, K.; Cromarty, D.; Diekmann, M.; Duncan, N.; Meharg, A. A.; Taggart, M. A.; Venter, L.; Cuthbert, R. 2010. Toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to Gyps vultures: a new threat from ketoprofen. Biology Letters 6(3): 339-341.
Oaks, J. L.; Gilbert, M.; Virani, M. Z.; Watson, R. T.; Meteyer, C. U.; Rideout, B. A.; Shivaprasad, H. L.; Ahmed, S.; Chaudhry, M.J. I.; Arshad, M.; Mahmood, S.; Ali, A.; Khan, A. A. 2004. Diclofenac residues as the cause of vulture population decline in Pakistan. Nature 427(6975): 630-633.
Oaks, J. L.; Meteyer, C. U.; Rideout, B. A.; Shivaprasad, H. L.; Gilbert, M.; Virani, M. Z.; Watson, R. T.; Khan, A. A. 2004. Diagnostic investigation of vulture mortality: the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac is associated with visceral gout. Falco: 13-14.
Pain, D. J.; Bowden, C. G. R.; Cunningham, A. A.; Cuthbert, R.; Das, D.; Gilbert, M.; Jakati, R. D.; Jhala, Y.; Khan, A. A.; Naidoo, V.; Oaks, J. L.; Parry-Jones, J.; Prakash, V.; Rahmani, A.; Ranade, S. P.; Baral, H. S.; Senacha, K. R.; Saravanan, S. 2008. The race to prevent the extinction of South Asian vultures. Bird Conservation International 18: S30-S48.
Paudel, S. 2008. Vanishing vultures and diclofenac prevalence in Lumbini IBA. Danphe 17(2): 1-3.
Poharkar, A.; Reddy, P. A.; Gadge, V. A.; Kolte, S.; Nurkure, N.; Shivaji, S. 2009. Is malaria the cause for decline of the Indian White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)? Current Science 96(4): 553-558.
Prakash, V., Bishwakarma, M.C., Chaudhary, A., Cuthbert, R., Dave, R., Kulkarni, M., Kumar, S., Paudel, K., Ranade, S., Shringarpure, R. and Green, R.E. 2012a. The Population Decline of Gyps Vultures in India and Nepal Has Slowed since Veterinary Use of Diclofenac was Banned. PLoS One 7(11).
Prakash, V., Galligan, T. H., Chakraborty, S. S., Dave, R., Kulkarni, M. D., Prakash, N., Shringarpure, R. N., Ranade, S. P. and Green, R. E. 2019. Recent changes in populations of Critically Endangered Gyps vultures in India. Bird Conservation International 29: 55-70.
Prakash, V.; Bowden, C.; Cuthbert, R.; Lindsay, N.; Prakash, N.; Routh, A.; Parry-Jones, J. 2012b. Husbandry Guidelines for ‘in range’ conservation breeding programmes of Gyps bengalensis, Gyps indicus and Gyps tenuirostris. Royal Society for Protection of Birds, Sandy, U.K.
Prakash, V.; Green, R. E.; Pain, D. J.; Ranade, S. P.; Saravanan, S.; Prakash, N. 2007. Recent changes in populations of resident Gyps vultures in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 104(2): 127-133.
Prakash, V.; Pain, D. J.; Cunningham, A. A.; Donald, P. F.; Prakash, N.; Verma, A.; Gargi, R.; Sivakumar, S.; Rahmani, A. R. 2003. Catastrophic collapse of Indian white-backed Gyps bengalensis and long-billed Gyps indicus vulture populations. Biological Conservation 109: 381-390.
SAVE. 2014. A Blueprint for the Recovery of South Asia’s Critically Endangered Gyps Vultures.
SAVE. 2015. Report of the 5th annual meeting of Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction.
SAVE. 2021. Captive Breeding. Available at: https://save-vultures.org/captive-breeding/. (Accessed: 09/07/2021).
Shultz, S.; Baral, H.S.; Charman, S.; Cunningham, A. A.; Das, D.; Ghalasi, G. R.; Goudar, M.S.; Green, R.E.; Jones, A.; Nighot, P.; Pain, D.J.; Prakash, V. 2004. Diclofenac poisoning is widespread in declining vulture populations across the Indian subcontinent. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 271: S458-S460.
SoIB. 2020. State of India’s Birds factsheet: Indian Vulture Gyps indicus. Available at: https://www.stateofindiasbirds.in/species/indvul1/ . (Accessed: 09/07/2021).
Subedi, T.R. and DeCandido, R. 2013. Indian Vulture Gyps indicus: first record for Nepal. Birding ASIA 19: 115-116.
Swan, G., Naidoo, V., Cuthbert, R., Green, R.E., Pain, D.J., Swarup, D., Prakash, V., Taggart, M., Bekker, L., Das, D., Diekmann, J., Diekmann, M., Killian, E., Meharg, A., Chandra Patra, R., Saini, M. and Wolter, K. 2006a. Removing the threat of diclofenac to critically endangered Asian vultures. PLoS Biology 4(3): 395-402.
Swan, G.E.; Cuthbert, R.; Quevedo, M.; Green, R.E.; Pain, D.J.; Bartels, P.; Cunningham, A. A.; Duncan, N.; Meharg, A. A.; Oaks, J. L.; Parry-Jones, J.; Taggart, M. A.; Verdoorn, G.; Wolter, K. 2006b. Toxicity of diclofenac to Gyps vultures. Biology Letters: 279-282.
Swarup, D.; Patra, R. C.; Prakash, V.; Cuthbert, R.; Das, D.; Avari, P.; Pain, D. J.; Green, R. E.; Sharma, A. K.; Saini, M.; Das, D.; Taggart, M. 2007. Safety of meloxicam to critically endangered Gyps vultures and other scavenging birds in India. Animal Conservation 10(2): 192-198.
Taggart, M. A.; Senacha, K.; Green, R. E.; Cuthbert, R.; Jhala, Y. V.; Meharg,A. A.; Mateo, R; Pain, D. J. 2009. Analysis of nine NSAIDs in ungulate tissues available to critically endangered vultures in India. Environmental Science and Technology 43: 4561-4566.
Tatu, K., Vyas, V., Munjapara, S., Pathak, B. & Pandey, C. N. 2012. Population status of White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis and Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus in Gujarat, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 109(1&2): 37-42.
Venkitachalam, R.; Senthilnathan, S. 2015. Breeding record of Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) in Moyar Valley, Tamil Nadu, India. Current Science 109(2): 258-259.
Venkitachalam, R.; Senthilnathan, S. 2016. Status and population of vultures in Moyar Valley, southern India. J. Threatened Taxa 8: 8358-8364.
Zorrilla, I., Martinez, R., Taggart, M.A. and Richards, N. 2015. Suspected flunixin poisoning of a wild Eurasian Griffon Vulture from Spain. Conservation Biology 29(2): 587-592.
IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group
Search for photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Macaulay Library
The Peregrine Fund - Asian Vulture Population Project
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Indian Vulture Gyps indicus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/indian-vulture-gyps-indicus on 25/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 25/12/2024.