A black American vulture ( Coragyps Atratus) was first spotted at this feeding site, which provides safe food for native vultures.
Mongabay was told by Ankit Bilas
Joshi (NGO Bird Conservation Nepal’s vulture conservation manager) that he spotted the single bird Tuesday morning. Are Bats Birds “We were shocked, but managed to take a picture of it,” Ankit Bilas Joshi, NGO Bird Conservation Nepal’s vulture conservation program manager, said to Mongabay. The vulture returned to this area on July 13, and fed on a carcass with other native vultures.
Nepal is home to nine species, or Old World Vultures, that are native to Asia, Africa, and Europe. Three of them arrive in winter as seasonal visitors.These species are part of the Accipitridae family, which has rounded wings, long legs, and unnotched bill. However, the American black vulture belongs to the Cathartidae family, which has fewer feathers that are usually black, gray, or brown.
Vibhu Prakash (Vulture Expert), from Bombay
Natural History Society, India said that the only reason the American black Vulture was spotted in Nepal is illegal trade. I don’t believe any Indian zoo has this species. Mongabay was told by him that it is a friendly species and makes a great pet.
The discovery of a New World Vulture in Nepal raises concerns about the interactions between species that otherwise would never have met. Hem Sagar Baral, an ornithologist, said that if there are more birds like this one, it is worrying. “There may be certain diseases that the New World birds have developed immunity to. This immunity might not exist in Old World species. This could lead to the spread of deadly diseases.
This could spell doom for Nepal’s vultures
They are just beginning to recover from another major threat. Crested Birds In the 1990s, thousands of birds died after eating carcasses from cattle and other livestock treated with diclofenac. Conservationists set up several feeding areas across the country to ensure safe food for the birds. They serve diclofenac-free carcasses of livestock
in what has become known as “vulture restaurants” — which also includes the one visited by the American black vulture. Feedback To send a message or comment to the author of this article, use this form. You can leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
