Alternative Names: Himalayan Vulture
- Gyps himalayensis
Identification
- Body pale brownish
- Wing coverts pale buff to white
- Flight feathers and tail very dark
Similar Species
Eurasian Griffon Vulture is smaller, has shorter tail, and narrower body.
Distribution
Central Asia, mainly in the Himalayas.
Breeds in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, north Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan and in much of western and central China.
Resident except for limited altitudinal movement, probably some dispersal by young birds.
Taxonomy
Habitat
High plateaux and mountains up to 6,000m
Behaviour
Diet
Eats carrion
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
Immature
Photo by Alok Tewari
Uttarakhand Himalayas, Alt. 6000 ft. above MSL, India, January 2010
References
- Birdforum thread discussing id of this species
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Himalayan Griffon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 10 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Himalayan_Griffon
External Links