Birds Around Me 0210 - Indian vulture or long-billed vulture देशी गिद्ध (Gyps indicus)
Indian vulture or long-billed vulture देशी गिद्ध (Gyps indicus) Katangi, Jabalpur, October 2023 The last time I saw an Indian Vulture or Long-billed Vulture (देशी गिद्ध), Gyps indicus, was probably in 1992. However, an October 2023 trip to Jabalpur took me to the nesting grounds of these majestic birds. I fondly remember watching them from school windows, in groups of tens, perched on a garbage mound. Their flight was just as elegant as ever. As Dr. Salim Ali quoted, "It quarters the heaven sailing majestically for hours on end on outspread motionless wings, scanning the countryside for food." A ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac has helped their population recover slightly, but they remain Critically Endangered. The nesting site in Katangi, Jabalpur, is a beautiful location. I was overwhelmed to see more than 20 vultures soaring above and many more perched along the cliff. The Indian vulture or long-billed vulture देशी गिद्ध (Gyps indicus) has a large, robust body wit...