STUDY OF SCAVENGER BIRDS IN SOME REGION OF BUNDELKHAND TO ASSESS THE PROMISING BREEDING SITES FOR THEIR BREEDING CONSERVATION

Abstract

Due to the fact that they consume carrion, vultures serve an important ecological purpose in addition to being very reliable indicators of the ecosystem's overall health. They are the only group of vertebrates that have been documented as being obligate scavengers. There are nine distinct species of old world vultures found in India. The Red-headed Vulture (RHV) is a species of vulture found in the United States that reaches a height of 2,000 meters throughout the nation. The inquiry was conducted in Madhya Pradesh, popularly known as Bundelkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, two states in India. The research zone was partitioned into grids with random location selection, each grid consisting of 15 square kilometers by 15 square kilometers. Within each of the selected grids, transects with a length of ten kilometers were successfully completed. In light of this, the quantities of vultures that were recorded over the years 2021 through 2023 were 46, 54, and 74, respectively. The population of RHV showed a continuous growth during the duration of the study that was observed, which indicates that the species is moving in a positive direction. In addition to the hurdles that are faced by other species of vultures, RHV is also face with considerable obstacles. Some examples of biotic and abiotic threats include habitat loss, predation, hunting, and disturbance; scarcity of food and water; changes in agricultural practices and land use; poisoning; and death from traffic accidents at feeding locations. The population trend is showing signs that are positive; but, in order to preserve the species, it will be required to simply maintain constant monitoring and put conservation measures into effect.