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Gyps himalayensis
The Himalayan Vulture or Himalayan Griffon Vulture (Gyps himalayensis) is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. Closely related to the European Griffon Vulture (G. fulvus) and once considered a subspecies of it, this species is found along the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau. It is one of the two largest old world vultures and true raptors.
Spotted on Sep 22, 2012
Submitted on Sep 22, 2012
10 Comments
Fantastic
First time I have seen this on-line. Great shot!
Wow!
great spotting !!
birdlady, i spotted this one along with many of its counterparts feeding on a carrion near to Jalori pass (3130meters elevation). its common to see them in flight soaring the thermals high up in himalayas. But to spot them feeding on ground is bit rare. The cow belonged to a migratory grazier, which probably died due to some sickness. I spotted around half a dozen of them of variable age groups feeding at the same time. The elders, which have white plumage on their wing shoulders, bullies the young which are much darker plumaged. They have large strong wings owing to their overall large body size, which makes them awkward while taking off and landing. I found these vultures little bit shy compared to those found in plains of southern India who are considerable bold and doesn't fly off immediately upon approach. But these ones just flew off by mere sight of a human 100 meters away from them. Overall, majestic birds to watch both in sky as well as on ground.
Wonderful! Can you tell us more about how you spotted this bird?
Thank you Nuwan and Alice :)
Zapabio, thats very true. i was amazed by their size and strength. not to mention their ecological role. ;)
One of the most beautiful birds in the World !!!
Wonderful spotting!
great spot !