Breeding site records of three sympatric vultures in a mountainous cliff in Kahara-Thathri, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Abstract

The current communication deals with the breeding records of three sympatric vultures, viz., Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis, Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, and Bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus from a mountain cliff in Kahara, Thathri, a part of upper Chenab catchment in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Made of twigs and lined by dry grass, the nests mostly east-facing, were built on the ledges or in cavities and small caves on cliffs well protected from predators. The inaccessibility, rugged topography (for nesting) and the abundant food base (gorals, monkeys, langurs, pikas, and rodents) make it an ideal nesting location for the vultures. Authors suggested that intensive studies are required to be taken up on the resource apportionment and influence of habitat variables (climate, terrain, disturbance) on the nest site characteristics in such rugged landscapes.