Himalayan Vulture

The Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis), also known as the Himalayan griffon vulture, is a large Old World vulture belonging to the family Accipitridae. It is native to the high-altitude regions of the Himalayas, North and Northeast India, and the Tibetan Plateau, extending across parts of Central and East Asia. After the cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), it is the second-largest Old World vulture and ranks among the largest flying birds in the world. The species is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
The Himalayan vulture should not be confused with the Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), a closely related and visually similar species that overlaps with it in parts of its range.

Taxonomy and classification

The Himalayan vulture belongs to the genus Gyps, which includes several large scavenging vultures distributed across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Within this genus, G. himalayensis is the largest species, exceeding its relatives in most body measurements. Its evolutionary adaptations reflect life in mountainous environments, including powerful wings for soaring and physiological tolerance to high-altitude conditions.

Physical description

The Himalayan vulture is a massive bird with a robust build and broad wings adapted for long-distance soaring. The plumage is characterised by dark brown wing quills, tail feathers, and greater coverts, contrasted with a pale buff to creamy upper body. The inner secondaries are paler at the tips, creating a distinctive pattern in flight. The underside and underwing coverts range from pale brown to buff, appearing almost white in some individuals.
The head and neck of immature birds are covered in whitish down, which gradually becomes yellowish in adults. Mature birds possess a long, pale brown ruff around the neck, often streaked with white and composed of long, spiky feathers. The facial skin is pale bluish, lighter than that of the Eurasian griffon vulture, and the bill is yellowish. The legs are feathered and vary in colour from greenish-grey to pale brown.
In flight, the species is recognisable by its long, splayed “fingers”, pale patagial stripe on the underwing, and strong contrast between dark flight feathers and pale body coverts. Pale shaft streaks are visible on the body feathers, adding to its distinctive appearance.

Size and measurements

The Himalayan vulture is the largest member of the Gyps genus and one of the heaviest birds found in the Himalayan region. Adult body mass generally ranges between 8 and 12 kilograms, though weight can vary considerably depending on age, sex, and feeding conditions. Average weight estimates are around 9–10 kilograms.
Published wingspan measurements vary widely due to differing methodologies but typically fall within the range of 2.6 to 3.1 metres, comparable to that of the cinereous vulture. While the cinereous vulture may outweigh it on average, the Himalayan vulture often exceeds it in overall wingspan and linear dimensions.

Distribution and habitat

The Himalayan vulture primarily inhabits high-altitude mountainous regions, usually occurring at elevations between 1,500 and 4,500 metres, though it can range higher on the Tibetan Plateau. Its distribution spans a broad area, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, western China, and Mongolia.
Juvenile birds are more dispersive and may wander southwards into lower elevations. Occasional vagrants have been recorded far outside the typical range, including in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Singapore.
The species favours open alpine landscapes, steep cliffs, and rugged mountain terrain, which provide suitable nesting sites and reliable access to carrion from wild and domestic ungulates.

Behaviour and ecology

Himalayan vultures are highly adapted to soaring flight, relying on thermal updrafts to remain airborne for extended periods. They are incapable of sustained flapping flight and are most active during warm daylight hours when thermals are strongest. The birds often perch on rocky crags, where repeated use leaves characteristic white streaks from droppings.
They are highly social and frequently occur in large flocks, especially at feeding sites. While tolerant of other vulture species, Himalayan vultures typically dominate smaller scavengers such as foxes and small felids but remain subordinate to larger predators like grey wolves, snow leopards, and the cinereous vulture.
Vocalisations are limited but include rattling sounds when descending on carcasses, hissing or grunting at roosts, and cackling noises during feeding disputes.

Diet and feeding habits

The Himalayan vulture is an obligate scavenger, feeding exclusively on carrion. It consumes the flesh of large mammal carcasses and typically avoids offal, which is more readily eaten by other vulture species. On the Tibetan Plateau, studies have shown that up to 64 percent of its diet consists of carcasses of domestic yak (Bos grunniens).
The species is capable of feeding on carcasses in advanced stages of decomposition and may wait several days near a dead animal before feeding. Historically, Himalayan vultures played a central role in sky burial practices, consuming human remains left in open sites as part of traditional funerary customs.
Large flocks can strip a carcass of all soft tissue rapidly, sometimes reducing a medium-sized carcass to bones within 30 minutes, while a yak carcass may be consumed within approximately two hours.
An unusual and poorly understood behaviour observed in Himalayan vultures is the consumption of pine needles (Pinus roxburghii). This behaviour is not nutritionally motivated and may be linked to ingestion of essential oils or terpenes that aid digestion or provide antimicrobial benefits.

Breeding and reproduction

The breeding season generally begins in January. Himalayan vultures nest on inaccessible cliff ledges, constructing platforms of sticks. Nesting elevations vary widely, with nests in northeastern India recorded at lower altitudes, while those on the Tibetan Plateau may occur at elevations exceeding 4,500 metres.
The species often nests colonially, with five to seven breeding pairs commonly sharing a cliff face. Nests are relatively small compared with those of other large accipitrids, though they may increase in size with repeated use. There are recorded instances of Himalayan vultures reusing nests originally built by bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus), and the two species have been observed nesting in close proximity without conflict.
A single white egg marked with reddish blotches constitutes the typical clutch. Egg-laying in northern India has been recorded from late December to early March. Incubation lasts approximately 54–58 days, and the chick remains dependent on its parents for six to seven months after hatching.

Conservation status and threats

The Himalayan vulture is classified as Near Threatened, reflecting concern over potential population declines. While it has not suffered the catastrophic declines observed in other Asian Gyps vultures, it remains vulnerable to similar threats.
A major concern is exposure to diclofenac, a veterinary anti-inflammatory drug toxic to vultures when ingested through livestock carcasses. Although Himalayan vulture populations have shown greater resilience than some related species, reductions in nesting birds have been recorded in parts of Nepal and eastern India, indicating potential future risk.
Additional threats include habitat disturbance, human interference at feeding and nesting sites, collisions with vehicles, and persecution by herding dogs.