Slender-billed Vulture - Gyps tenuirostris

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Common Name : Slender-billed Vulture
Scientific Name : Gyps tenuirostris (G. R. Gray, 1844)

Order : Falconiformes
Family : Accipitridae
Taxonomic Group : Falconiformes - Accipitridae ( Hawks, Kites and Eagles )

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General Species Profile

Taxonomy

Clements Checklist of Birds of the World 6.4 December 2009 Updated

Common Name : Slender-billed Vulture
Scientific Name : Gyps tenuirostris
Order : Falconiformes Family : Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
Range : Kashmir through base of Himalayas to SE Asia

This Species is Monotypic, No Subspecies

Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World 2006

3rd Edition, 2003. Revised and Corrected per Corrigenda to December 31, 2006

Common Name : Slender-billed Vulture
Scientific Name : Gyps tenuirostris
SubFamily : Accipitrinae

This Species is Monotypic, No Subspecies

IOC World Bird Names (version 2.2)

IOC Common Name : Slender-billed Vulture
IOC Scientific Name : Gyps tenuirostris

Distribution :
Region : OR Range : Himalayas through Southeast Asia
Order : ACCIPITRIFORMES Family : Accipitridae
Category : Kites, Hawks & Eagles
Note: Raptor families Cathartidae, Accipitridae, Sagittariidae, and Pandiondae are in the Order "Accipitriformes" because falcons (Falconidae) are separated as the Order Falconiformes (Hackett et al. 2008)

A Synopsis of the Birds of India and Pakistan

No Data Avialable

Birdlife International Checklist Ver 3 June 2010

Common Name : Slender-billed Vulture
Scientific Name : Gyps tenuirostris (Gray, 1844)
Birdlife Synonym :

BirdLife Redlist Status Year 2010: CR
BirdLife Species FactSheet for Slender-billed Vulture ( Gyps tenuirostris )

Taxonomy Treatment : R

Birdlife Taxonomy Notes : Gyps indicus (Sibley and Monroe, 1990, 1993) has been split into G. indicus and G. tenuirostris following Rasmussen and Parry (2001).

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

IUCN Common Name (Eng) : Slender-billed Vulture
Scientific Name : Gyps tenuirostris (Gray, 1844)
IUCN Redlist Species FactSheet for Slender-billed Vulture ( Gyps tenuirostris )

Species : tenuirostris
Genus : Gyps
Family : Accipitridae Order : Falconiformes

IUCN RedList Status : CR

IUCN RedList Criteria : A2ce+4ce
IUCN RedList Criteria Version : 3.1
IUCN RedList Year Assessed : 2008
IUCN RedList Population Trend : decreasing
IUCN RedList Petitioned : N

Oriental Bird Club Checklist Draft Novemebr 2009

Family : ACCIPITRIDAE

Scientific Name : Gyps indicus
Common Name : Long-billed Vulture

IOC Checklist Difference : Indian Vulture;Gyps tenuirostris, Slender-billed Vulture;
Birdlife Checklist Difference : Indian Vulture;Gyps tenuirostris, Slender-billed Vulture;

Birdlife Checklist Justification : Gyps indicus (Sibley and Monroe, 1990, 1993) has been split into G. indicus and G. tenuirostris followingRasmussen and Parry (2001).
Other Justification : Sibley & Monroe (1990) noted that 'Tenuirostris is sometimes considered specifically distinct from indicus, but B. King (pers. comm.) indicates that they are similar and probably not worthy of recognition as species.' Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001) noted that there are 'Two distinct forms � which replace each other geographically and have clear differences in bill structure, and head and thigh covering, as well as in nesting and social behaviour -�have traditionally been treated as conspecific, and it is as races of one species that they are included here. Some authorities have, however, considered them two distinct species in the past, and a stronger case for doing so is now being made (see Rasmussen & Parry).' Rasmussen and Parry (2001) noted that 'The two taxa presently treated as races of the Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus were initially described as separate species: Gyps indicus (Scopoli 1786) and G. tenuirostris (Gray 1844). Confusion between the two in nomenclature and identity has existed for a long time (e.g. Sharpe 1874). Early in the 20thCentury, indicus and tenuirostris were lumped without careful study, and to add to the confusion, a Pakistani population of Eurasian Griffon Gyps fulvus was mistakenly named as a new race, G. indicus jonesi (Whistler 1927). Since then indicus andtenuirostris have uniformly been treated as conspecific, althoughStresemann and Amadon (1979: 306) listed them as "megasubspecies" (p. 273), and Alström (1997) stated that they may "prove to be better considered as separate species". We have now studied as many specimens and photographs as possible, and these wo taxa prove to be extraordinarily distinct (Rasmussen & Parry 2000). �. Our results are somewhat preliminary, but the outcome is entirely clear: no accepted species concept, no matter how broad, can encompass two taxa as distinct as indicus and tenuirostris.' Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) referring to indicus, noted that 'This and Slender-billed Vulture differ markedly in a great many traits and share only a superficial resemblance; their treatment as conspecific cannot be sustained (Rasmussen & Parry 2001). Indian is much more similar to Griffon, while Slender-billed is highly distinctive, with many unique characters and some seemingly paedomorphic ones (retained juvenile traits).' Johnson et al. (2006) noted that their 'molecular phylogenies strongly support the treatment of indicus and tenuirostris as separate species, as does morphological data showing that these two taxa of similar overall size differ in proportions, especially in rostral, alar, and pedal characters.'

Bibliography

Bibliography of Slender-billed Vulture ( Gyps tenuirostris )
Number of Results found : 41

1. Arshad M;Gonzalez J;El-Sayed AA;Osborne T;Wink M; , (2009 ), Phylogeny and physiogeography of critically endangered Gyps species based on nuclear and mitochondrial markers, Journal of Ornithology, 150:2: 419 - 430.

2. Hirschfeld E; , (2007 ), Rare birds yearbook 2008, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England MagDig Media Limited, : .

3. Baral N;Gautam R; , (2007 ), Ecological studies on three endangered vulture species in the Pokhara Valley, Nepal, Boise, ID The Peregrine Fund, : .

4. Baral N;Gautam R; , (2007 ), Ecological monitoring of White-rumped Vultures in Rampur Valley, and Syanja and Tanahu Districts of western Nepal, with an ecological notes on Slender-billed Vultures, BirdingASIA, 8: 6.

5. Baral N;Gautam R; , (2007 ), Socio-economic perspectives on the conservation of Critically Endangered vultures in South Asia: an empirical study from Nepal, Bird Conservation International, 17:2: 131 - 139.

6. Rhys E.Green M; , (2006 ), Collapse of Asian vulture populations: risk of mortality from residues of the veterinary drug diclofenac in carcasses of treated cattle, Journal of Applied Ecology, 43:5: 331.

7. Johnson JA;Lerner HRL;Rasmussen PC;Mindell DP; , (2006 ), Systematics within Gyps vultures: a clade at risk, BMC Evolutionary Biology, 6: 65.

8. Irsch W; , (2006 ), Hoffnung f r Indiens Geier, Falke, 53:4: 113 - 115.

9. Gross L; , (2006 ), Switching drugs for livestock may help save critically endangered Asian vultures, PLoS Biology, 4:3: 61.

10. Green RE; , (2006 ), Decline of vultures in Asia, Science, 311:5766: 1378.

11. Green RE;Taggart MA;Das D;Pain DJ;Kumar CS;Cunningham AA;Cuthbert R; , (2006 ), Collapse of Asian vulture populations: risk of mortality from residues of the veterinary drug diclofenac in carcasses of treated cattle, Journal of Applied Ecology, 43:3: 949 - 956.

12. Gilbert M;Chansocheat S; , (2006 ), Olfaction in accipitrid vultures, Vulture News, 55: 6 - 7.

13. Ellis C; , (2006 ), The Asian vulture crisis, Vulture News, 55: 43 - 45.

14. Choudhury A; , (2006 ), Notable bird records from Mizoram in north-east India, Forktail, 22: 152 - 155.

15. Craig Robson , (2005), Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), BIRDS OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA; New Holland Publishers Ltd, : 58.

16. Islam MZ; , (2005 ), Pharmaceutical drug 'Diclofenac' that caused the Gyps vulture decline in South Asia, now banned in India, Falco, 25/26: 20 - 21.

17. Clements T; , (2005 ), Dining alfresco, Wildlife Conservation, 108:3: 11.

18. Baumgart W; , (2005 ), [Vulture die-off in India from residues of the pharmaceutical diclofenac], Ornithologische Mitteilungen, 57:5: 155 - 158.

19. Barua M;Sharma P; , (2005 ), The birds of Nameri National Park, Assam, India, Forktail, 21: 15 - 26.

20. Baral N;Gautam R;Tamang B; , (2005 ), Population status and breeding ecology of White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis in Rampur Valley, Nepal, Forktail, 21: 87 - 91.

21. Anderson MD;Piper SE;Swan GE; , (2005 ), Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in South Africa and possible effects on vultures, South African Journal of Science, 101: 112 - 114.

22. Rhys E.Green INSSA; , (2004 ), Diclofenac poisoning as a cause of vulture population declines across the Indian subcontinent, Journal of Applied Ecology, 41:5: 101.

23. Green RE;Newton I;Shultz S;Cunningham AA;Gilbert M;Pain DJ;Prakash V; , (2004 ), Diclofenac poisoning as a cause of vulture population declines across the Indian subcontinent, Journal of Applied Ecology, 41: 793 - 800.

24. Dickinson RJ; , (2004 ), Asian Vulture update, Living Bird, 23: 5 - 6.

25. Anon; , (2004 ), Report of the International South Asian Vulture Recovery Plan Workshop, 12-14 February 2004 (Parwanoo, India), Bedfordshire, England Vulture Rescue, : .

26. Anon; , (2004 ), Significant vulture discovery in Cambodia, Vulture News, 51: 82 - 83.

27. Gilbert M;Oaks JL;Virani MZ;Watson RT;Ahmed S;Iqbal Chaudhry MJ;Arshad M;Mahmood S;Ali A;Khattak RM;Khan AA;Chancellor RD;Meyburg BU; , (2004 ), The status and decline of vultures in the provinces of Punjab and Sind, Pakistan: a 2003 update, Raptors worldwide Berlin and Budapest, Hungary World Working Group on Birds of Prey and MME/BirdLife Hungary;, : 221 - 234.

28. Anderson MD;Benson P; , (2003 ), Veterinary drug implicated in vulture crash, Africa -- Birds & Birding, 8:4: 12.

29. Gilbert M; , (2002 ), Vulture shock, BBC Wildlife, 20:4: 58 - 60.

30. Cunningham AA;Pain D;Prakash V; , (2002 ), Catastrophic declines of Griffon Vultures in India, Falco, 20: 10 - 11.

31. Anon; , (2002 ), Monitoring of Gyps vultures continues in India and Pakistan, International Hawkwatcher, 6: 18.

32. Pamela C. Rasmussen, William S. Clark, Steven James Parry and John Schmitt , (2001), Field identification of 'Long-billed' Vultures (Indian and Slender-billed Vultures), Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, 34: 24 - 24.

33. Rasmussen PC;Clark WS;Parry SJ;Schmitt J; , (2001 ), Field identification of 'Long-billed' Vultures (Indian and Slender-billed Vultures), Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, 34: 274.

34. Gilbert M; , (2001 ), An unexpected Christmas present, The Peregrine Fund Newsletter, 32: 20 - 21.

35. Cunningham AA;Prakash V;Ghalsasi GR;Pain D;Katzner T;Parry-Jones J; , (2001 ), Investigating the cause of catastrophic declines in Asian Griffon Vultures (Gyps indicus and G. bengalensis ), Reports from the Workshop on Indian Gyps vultures Seville, Spain Estaci'n Biol'gica Dona$a/Raptor Research Foundation;, : 10 - 11.

36. Rasmussen, P. C., W. C. Clark, S. J. Parry, J. Schmitt. , (2001), Field identification of 'Long-billed' vultures (Indian and Slender-billed Vultures)., Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, 34: 24 - 29.

37. Holden C; , (2000 ), India's vultures declining, Science, 289: 1679.

38. Anon; , (2000 ), Vulture crisis deepens, World Birdwatch, 22: 2.

39. Salim Ali; S Dillon RipleyÂ , (1978), No. 184. Himalayan Longbilled Vulture (Gyps indicus tenuirostris ) G. R. Gray, Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Volume 1 (Divers to Hawks ): 306.

40. Gill EH; , (1921), Nidification of the Himalayan Longbilled Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 27:4: 951 - 952.

41. Jones AE; , (1916), Gyps tenuirostris (Hodgson), the Himalayan Longbilled Vulture, breeding near Ambala, Punjab, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 24:2: 358.

Book Excerpts

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 1st Ed. Vol III (1895)

Himalayan Long-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)

1195. Gyps tenuirostris.

The Himalayan Long-billed Vulture.

Vultur tenuiceps, Hodgson in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 81 (1844). descr nulla. Gyps tenuirostris, Hodgson M S., Gray, Gen. B. i, p. 6 (1844), deter nulla ; Hume, S. F. vii, p. 326 (1878); id. Cat. no. 4 ter; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 219. Gyps indicus, apud Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 9, partim ; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 232; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. i, p. 10, pt.; Blyth &Walden, Birds Burm. p. 64 ; Hume & Dav. S. F. vi, p. 1; Hume, Cat. no. 4; id. S. F. xi, p. 2; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 169; id. in Hume's N. & F. 2nd ed. iii, p. 202.

Sagun, Beng.; Gut, Lepcha.

Very similar to the last, but distinguished by having no feathers at all on the head and scarcely any down on the neck, by the general Coloration of the plumage being darker, the legs and feet somewhat longer, the bill more slender, the nostril apparently less elongate and broader, and the colours of the soft parts different.

Bill brownish dusky horny, the culmen yellowish horny; cere horny black; irides deep brown; skin of head and neck dark muddy; tarsi and toes black ; claws dusky or horny black (Hume).

Length about 38.5; tail 10.5 ; wing 24; tarsus 4; middle toe without claw 4.3; bill from gape 2.85.

The Indian Peninsular form, and not the present species, must retain the name indicus, for Sonnerat in his original description of " Le Grand Vautour des Indes" (to which the specific name indicus was applied by Scopoli) wrote that the head is covered with fine down resembling hair (la tite est couverte d'un petit duvet qui ressemble a du poil). Hume has distinguished the Himalayan Vulture, G. tenuirostris, from that of Bengal, Assam, and Burma, on account of the slender bill and head of the former; but I feel doubtful whether the difference is constant.

Distribution. Throughout the lower Himalayas and near their base as far west as Kashmir, also in Bengal, Assam, and Burma, as far south as Moulmein; and according to Blyth in the Malay Peninsula also. The limits of this and the last species are not clearly known.

Habits, &c. This Vulture breeds on trees in Bengal in January and February, making the usual large nests of Roughs freshly broken off. The single egg is nearly pure white, and measures about 3.5 by 2.73.

Museum Collections

No Data Avialbale for Gyps tenuirostris

Sound/Call

No Calls AvialableThe Bird Calls are embedded through xeno-canto.org See Terms of Use xeno-canto.org

Links

Cite this website along with its URL as:
Anonymous. 2013 Gyps tenuirostris - G. R. Gray, 1844 (Slender-billed Vulture ) in Deomurari, A.N. (Compiler), 2010. AVIS-IBIS (Avian Information System - Indian BioDiversity Information System) v. 1.0. Foundation For Ecological Security, India retrieved on 05/17/2013

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