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Gyps himalayensis
Large vulture with white head and darker plumage. Have stout bills and loosely feathered ruff.Likely the heaviest bird found in the Himalayas.
It was a joy to see these birds...soaring effortlessly, circling in the air above the rocky hills which were at least 1000 ft. high. They sometimes came down to middling hill level which is when I took the shot.
Closely related to the European griffon vulture (G. fulvus). This one calls the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau, home. It is one of the two largest Old World vultures and true raptors.Population is stable but species is considered Near Threatened. The sky burial practice of Buddhists of the Tibetan plateau deserves a mention when this bird is spotted.
Spotted on Oct 19, 2018
Submitted on Oct 22, 2018
3 Comments
Thank you MariadB.
Nice spotting!
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!