The Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus): record of a new bird in China

Abstract

In 2 April 2012 a birdwatcher, Mr. Hong Guo, found a strange white bird near a garbage dump in Wuqia County, (39°55′N, 75°15′E), at an elevation of 2100 m. This location is approximately 80 km west of Kaxgar. After experts checked the photographs, it was identified as an adult Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), also known as the White Vulture (Fig. 1). This is the first time a Chinese bird-watcher photographed this vulture. The point of record, Wuqia County, is about 110–130 km distance from the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The Egyptian Vulture is found in southwestern Europe, northern Africa, south and west Asia, as well as some countries neighboring China, i.e., India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. This bird likes to live in groups and use old nests. This species is genetically relatively close to the Bearded Vulture or Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus). The Egyptian Vulture is a medium to large bird (length 56–64 cm); its entire body is white but its flight feathers are black, it has a small head with a narrow and long bill and a wedge-shaped tail (Fig. 2). They sometimes crack eggs by using a stone, a rare example in the case raptors of knowing how to use tools.