More Information on White-Backed Vultures: The Hawk Conservancy A Wealth of Vultures India's Vultures are Declining: |
Asian White-Backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis |
Size: Larger that many of its close griffon relatives Voice: Like most other vultures, the Asian white-backed can only utter a combination of grunts, hisses, and squeals. Diet/Feeding: The white-backed vulture is relatively undiscriminating about what it eats. Its diet consists entirely of carrion. One of the smaller vultures in its area, the white-backed is usually dominated by the other carrion-eaters on a carcass. Flight: This vulture can fly at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, and as high as 9,000 feet! Range/Habitat: The most common vulture in India, the White-Backed is also the only vulture found in Burma, and Malaya. Behavior: White-backed vultures are highly social, like most other species of vulture. Life Cycle: Breeding: In courtship, white-backed vultures circle together, touching wingtips. They build a nest of large sticks and branches, 40 to 60 feet high in a tree. These birds lay only 1 egg, and incubation lasts from 45 to 52 days. Status: Since 1996, this vulture has been on the red list as a Threatened species. In Vietnam, the species is endangered. Folklore, Misc. Information: Ancient Malayan stories of a large bird called "Gerda" are believed to describe the White-Backed Vulture. The Malays believed that, when the sun was covered by clouds, the Great Gerda was drying his wings in the sun. An Asian WhiteBacked Vulture in many languages: English: Indian White Rumped Vulture, Oriental White-Backed Vulture Spanish: Buitre de espalda blanca French: Vautour à dos blanc |
More Information on White-Backed Vultures: The Hawk Conservancy A Wealth of Vultures India's Vultures are Declining: |
