Himalayan Vulture

About the Himalayan Vulture

Also known as: Himalayan Griffon, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Kumai Vulture, Snow Griffon, Snow Vulture

The Himalayan Vulture is a very large Old World species of vulture that lives in higher elevations surrounding the Himalayan Mountains. They are also known as Himalayan Griffons.

The Himalayan Vulture have creamy overall plumage, with contrasting dark brown flight and tail feathers. It has a white ruff around the neck. Much of the neck and head is covered in fine white downy feathers, though the face is bare (as an adaptation to hygiene).

Himalayan Vultures have a conservation status of Near Threatened as of November 2014, with a population considered to be stable.

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Details & Statistics

Added to Birdorable
Hatched on 27 August 2012
Scientific Name
Gyps himalayensis
  • Accipitriformes
  • Accipitridae
  • Gyps
  • G. himalayensis
Birdorable Family
Conservation Status
Near Threatened (as of 20 March 2020)
NT
  • Least Concern (LC)
  • Near Threatened (NT)
  • Vulnerable (VU)
  • Endangered (EN)
  • Critically Endangered (CR)
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW)
  • Extinct (EX)
Source: IUCN Red List
Measurements
Units: Imperial / Metric
102 to 120 inches
288 to 416 ounces
Range

Conservation

From IUCN Red List:
The Himalayan Vulture is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2014 by BirdLife International. This species has been uplisted to Near Threatened on the basis that it is suspected that it will undergo a moderately rapid population decline over the next three generations owing to the impacts of diclofenac use in livestock, a drug that has caused drastic declines in other Gyps species and appears to be fatal to this species when ingested. The distribution of this species and existing efforts to reduce diclofenac use may limit the impacts.

International Names

Chinese (汉语) 高山兀鹫
Czech (Cesky) sup himálajský
Danish (Dansk) Himalayagrib
Dutch (Nederlands) Himalayagier
Finnish (Suomi) himalajankorppikotka
French (Français) Vautour de l'Himalaya
German (Deutsch) Schneegeier
Italian (Italiano) Grifone dell'Himalaya
Japanese (日本語) ヒマラヤハゲワシ [himarayashiroerihagewashi]
Norwegian (Norsk) Himalayagribb
Polish (Polski) sep himalajski
Russian (русский язык) Снежный гриф
Spanish (Español) Buitre del Himalaya
Swedish (Svenska) Snögam
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The Himalayan Vulture lives in high elevation territory around the Himalayan Mountains. It has an overall creamy white plumage, with dark brown flight and tail feathers. Much of the head is covered ... more