Fun Indian Vulture Facts For Kids

The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), also known as the long-billed vulture, belongs to a species of vultures that are native to India and Pakistan. It belongs to the species of the Old World vulture genus.

These species of creatures are classified as Critically Endangered since the year 2002 by the IUCN Red List as their population declined severely.

The main reason for their population decline is their death due to kidney failure, which is caused by lead poisoning, diclofenac poisoning related to veterinary use, and feral dogs. The increase of wild dogs in their range highly decreases their population.

Except for the long-billed vulture, there are nine related breeds or species of vultures found in India and Pakistan.

These species are the cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), red-headed vulture or king vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), Indian white-backed vulture or white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Himalayan griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), and Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

Here on our page, we have many amazing facts about the Indian vulture that everyone will enjoy. Let's look at these interesting facts and if you like these, read about breeds like the griffon vulture and black vulture.

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Indian Vulture Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an Indian vulture?

The Indian vulture is a bird species that is very large and feeds on dead bodies and carcasses.

What class of animal does an Indian vulture belong to?

The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) is a bird species that belongs to the class of Aves and the genus of Gyps with the Accipitridae family.

How many Indian vultures are there in the world?

The population of this long-billed vulture in the world is very low. It is estimated that only 12,000 wild Indian vultures are left in this world. Their populations are drastically decreasing as they are dying because of the poisoning, and also these creatures live long but breed less.

Where does an Indian vulture live?

The Indian vulture is found in South Asian countries, mainly in Central India, Pakistan, and Nepal. They are also found in the European and African regions. The vulture birds are rare to found in these countries.

It is said that over 6,000-12,000 birds are left in this world. Not only is the long-billed vulture headed towards extinction, but also so is the slender-billed vulture. The white-backed vulture population in this world is close to zero.

What is an Indian vulture's habitat?

The habitat of the wild Indian vulture is mainly on the cliffs and crags of Rajasthan, India. Apart from cliffs, they also reside on human-made structures that are abandoned or structures like temples. They breed on the large and long trees near the wooded forests, where they lay one egg at a time and take care of it.

Who does Indian vulture live with?

Like every other wildlife flying creature, these wild vultures are also found in the large groups, which are often called vultures' committees. They are the social birds found feeding and flying in groups and sometimes also found laying eggs together.

How long does an Indian vulture live?

The Indian vultures have a long lifespan. They can live up to 10-30 years of age.

How do they reproduce?

The female vultures choose the male for the breeding process. When the breeding process is finished, the females lay one egg, usually on the trees, and incubate them. When the young are born, the parents do the feeding process by holding them through the neck.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Indian vultures is Critically Endangered by the International Union, which means there are very few vultures found in this world.

The decline of the Indian vulture has been drastic since the early 21st century, and now their status is almost close to extinction — for all the species of these vultures, whether long-billed or slender-billed vulture.

Indian Vulture Fun Facts

What does an Indian vulture look like?

The Indian vulture is a large-sized bird with a dark-colored head and neck, which is usually bald with a pale collar. The feathers on the head and neck are more white on the juvenile birds.

The wings of these vultures are darker and broader, while the feathers of the tails are small. The female vultures are smaller than the male birds. They are usually smaller inbuilt by the Gyps fulvus.

How cute are they?

The Indian vulture is not at all cute. Some humans are scared of them because of their appearance and their diet, which causes them to feed on dead bodies.

How do they communicate?

These birds communicate with each other through the sounds which they produce that resemble a dog barking. They also make hissing and grunting sounds while fighting and yapping sounds while courting.

How big is an Indian vulture?

The average size of an Indian vulture is around 32-41 in (81-104 cm) in length just like bearded vultures. These birds are ten times larger than the Indian palm squirrel.

How fast can an Indian vulture fly?

The Indian vulture is a very slow-flying creature but can fly up to 21 mph (33.7 kph) and fly for several hours for food, usually around 93 mi (150 km) daily.

How much does an Indian vulture weigh?

The average weight of an Indian vulture can be up to 12-14 lb (5.4-6.3 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The adult does not have a specific name for the females and males. They are referred to as the male Indian vulture and the female Indian vulture.

What would you call a baby Indian vulture?

There is no particular name for a baby Indian vulture.

What do they eat?

These vultures feed on the dead bodies of humans and animals. Their diet also contains the carcasses of cattle.

Are they dangerous?

Although the appearance of the vulture is very scary, they are harmless birds. They have not attacked humans at all and are only found eating the rotting bodies and not killing them per se.

Would they make a good pet?

No, these creatures cannot be good pets to humans. The reason is that they feed on rotting bodies, and they are too large in size to be kept as a personal pet.

Did you know...

The Indian vulture has a bare neck so that when these creatures prey on the rotting bodies or carcasses, the bacterias will not burrow on their large built feathers and irritate them afterward. Because of this, they can live longer and healthier.

The red-headed vulture or king vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) is usually found in North Indian regions.

How many species of Indian vultures are found in India?

There are nine species of Indian vulture found in India. All of them are in the category of Endangered and are left in fewer numbers, like 6000-12000. The drooping neck or head syndrome also caused the death of these vultures in India.

What is the smallest vulture found in India?

The smallest vulture found in India's parts is the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), which is 30-37 in (76-93.9 cm) long in length. They were last seen in the regions of Kolkata.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these military macaw facts and sanderling facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Indian vulture coloring pages.