Vultures were a common sight across the Indian subcontinent until the late 1980s. But the excessive use of some veterinary drugs for cattle, which are toxic to the scavengers, and loss of habitat, led to a drastic fall in vulture numbers in the wild. By 2017, some species’ populations had fallen by 95%. However, in […]
Tag: vulture
Large number of Himalayan griffon vultures killed by pesticide poisoning
More than 95 Himalayan griffon vultures and a steppe eagle were discovered dead in the Chaiygaon region of Milanpur village in Assam’s Kamrup district on March 17, 2022. Prasanna, a local conservationist in Milanpur village, told Down to Earth on March 18 that “about a hundred Himalayan vultures have died all of a sudden.” “The […]
Born to be wild: India’s first captive-bred endangered vultures set free
In February, the doors of an aviary in West Bengal’s Buxa tiger reserve were flung open. Eight critically endangered captive-bred white-rumped vultures cautiously emerged and within minutes were mingling with wild vultures, devouring the meat of carcasses left out by a team of researchers from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). The birds were raised […]
Spain’s Endesa power firm sued over electrocution of birds
In Leonard Cohen’s famous song, a bird on a wire is a symbol of freedom, but for thousands of birds it is the equivalent of being sent to the electric chair. Now, in a landmark case, a Spanish electricity company is being prosecuted over the deaths of hundreds of birds electrocuted on pylons and overhead […]
Diclofenac claims first official victim in Europe: the Cinereous Vulture
A Cinerous Vulture Aegypius monachus born in 2020 in the Boumort National Hunting Reserve has now been confirmed as the first victim of a vulture species to die from poisoning by veterinary diclofenac in Europe. The cause of death of this vulture was confirmed in a new study which came out on April 5th, at […]
Tackling illegal killing, taking and trade of birds in Sub-Saharan Africa
As part of our effort to curb the devastating damage wreaked by the bird trade, BirdLife has embarked on a study to compile all existing information about bird killing, trapping and trade in Sub-Saharan Africa. We’re inviting you to get in touch with any information that can help us fill in the gaps. A bustling […]
As Guinea-Bissau records mass vulture deaths, poisoning is main suspect
Around 1,000 vultures have been found dead in Guinea-Bissau in the last two weeks, believed to have been poisoned. The birds, almost all critically endangered hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) were found in different locations across the country, with the majority near the towns of Bafata and Gabu. Initial details suggest that the birds were poisoned, […]
Bald eagles across the United States are dying from lead poisoning
Bald eagles across the United States are dying from lead bullets — but it’s not because they’re being shot. The Cape Fear Raptor Center, North Carolina’s largest eagle rehab facility, has treated seven eagles in the past month for lead poisoning, executive director Dr. Joni Shimp told CNN. Since November, at least 80% of the […]