VULTURES OF UTTARAKHAND: A REVIEW OF DISTRIBUTION, NESTING ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVES

Vultures are considered 'nature's clean-up crew' because they clean carcasses and recycle nutrients back into the environment for the ecosystem service they provide. In the Western Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, there are nine species of vulture, of which several are highly threatened. We review the distribution and nesting ecology of vultures in different habitats of Uttarakhand, factors regulating their spatial distribution, breeding parameters and population trend. This paper details the presence of critically endangered species within the study area, such as Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus), White-rumped Vultures (Gyps bengalensis) and other near-threatened species. To summarise, we identify key ecological characteristics of the nesting site, note pharmacological toxicity from NSAIDs, and see habitat disturbance as the key threats and imperatives for vulture conservation. We suggest that proactive and holistic conservation measures (protection of nesting sites, reduction of threats, long-term post-treatment monitoring, and community involvement) are essential to conserve vultures in a detailed socio-ecological landscape of Uttarakhand