World Vultures Research Articles

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

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.

Comprehensive genome assembly reveals genetic diversity and carcass consumption insights in critically endangered Asian king vultures

The Asian king vulture (AKV), a vital forest scavenger, is facing globally critical endangerment. This study aimed to construct a reference genome to unveil the mechanisms underlying its scavenger abilities and to assess the genetic relatedness of the captive population in Thailand. A reference genome of a female AKV was assembled from sequencing reads obtained from both PacBio long-read and MGI short-read sequencing platforms. Comparative genomics with New World vultures (NWVs) and other birds in the Family Accipitridae revealed unique gene families in AKV associated with retroviral genome integration and feather keratin, contrasting with NWVs’ genes related to olfactory reception. Expanded gene families in AKV were linked to inflammatory response, iron regulation and spermatogenesis. Positively selected genes included those associated with anti-apoptosis, immune response and muscle cell development, shedding light on adaptations for carcass consumption and high-altitude soaring. Using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq)-based genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genetic relatedness and inbreeding status of five captive AKVs were determined, revealing high genomic inbreeding in two females. In conclusion, the AKV reference genome was established, providing insights into its unique characteristics. Additionally, the potential of RADseq-based genome-wide SNPs for selecting AKV breeders was demonstrated.

Efficacy of an inflatable deterrent for reducing New World vulture human-wildlife conflict

Increasing urbanization coupled with spatial expansion and numerical increase of New World vulture populations has engendered a rise in human-vulture conflict, creating a need for effective tools to mitigate vulture-related damage. Visual frightening devices that mimic the presence of human or other predators can be employed in human-vulture conflict scenarios to increase perceived risk by the pest species, thereby eliciting an antipredator behavioral response, such as fleeing. One visual frightening device, inflatable scarecrows, recently proved effective at reducing passerine attendance at feral swine feeders, but their effectiveness when directed at other species and conflict scenarios has varied. Our primary objective was to evaluate an inflatable deterrent for reducing the number of black (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) present (hereafter abundance) at 13 human-vulture conflict sites throughout the southeastern United States. We predicted that vulture abundance would be substantially reduced when inflatable deterrents were deployed. Because we suspected other factors might also influence vulture site abundance, we also examined the exploratory variables of weather, site size (area), and vulture tolerance to human approach in relation to vulture site abundance using a model selection approach. Black vulture site abundance was more pervasive than turkey vultures, occurring at all sites and accounting for 85% of daily vulture counts (10.78 ± 0.52 vultures/site/day) whereas turkey vultures were only present at 62% of sites (2.12 ± 0.21). Across all sites, inflatable scarecrows were effective at reducing vulture abundance by 82% during the seventeen-day treatment period when deterrents were deployed (3.50 ± 0.20), but only a 48% reduction during the twenty-one-day post-treatment phase (15.34 ± 1.39) was observed. Site size and weather did not influence tool effectiveness. Human tolerance at sites, as determined by vulture flight initiation distance, was influential, with tool effectiveness being reduced at sites where local human tolerance was high. We recommend inflatable scarecrows as a tool to reduce vulture-wildlife conflict to private property and recreation at sites where the conflict is spatially restricted (e.g., parking lot or recreation area), conducive to scarecrow deployment (e.g., flat stable surfaces), and where vulture site human tolerance is low to moderate.

Commentary : The correct names of Old World vultures and their sequence

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A new fossil condor (Aves, Cathartiformes) from the Early Pliocene of Catamarca province, Argentina

ABSTRACTCondors are New World vultures (Cathartiformes, Cathartidae) with broad wings and short tails. The fossil record of condors (Aves, Cathartiformes) in South America is scarce, and particularly in Argentina most of the remains assigned to condors have been debated. Here, we present a new fossil species of Cathartidae found in the Early Pliocene of Catamarca province, Argentina, that belongs to the extant genus Vultur. The new species, Vultur messii sp. nov. is considered to be the only valid fossil species of this iconic genus of birds. The presence of a fossil Vultur species, recovered from deposits older than 4.8 Ma, coincides with the rise of the pampean hills and the Andes, and the beginning of the regional aridification. The existence of incipient mountain chains may also indicate that the centre of origin of this genus is linked to the Andes mountain, which in turn indicates an earlier arrival and diversification of the condors in South America.

Pleistocene raptors from cave deposits of South Australia, with a description of a new species of Dynatoaetus (Accipitridae: Aves): morphology, systematics and palaeoecological implications

The Pleistocene fossil record of Australian raptors (Accipitridae: eagles, hawks and Old World vultures) is very poorly understood with only three distinct extinct species confirmed until now. The small Necrastur alacer remains unstudied; however recent research has established Cryptogyps lacertosus as a valid species that, along with the very large Dynatoaetus gaffae, has potential affinities with the Aegypiinae–Circaetinae clade. These, along with a single large living inland raptor, the Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax, suggest that Australia had an impoverished diversity of large raptors compared to other similar continental regions. However, fossil material similar in size to A. audax from multiple Pleistocene cave deposits raises the possibility of further taxa and is here assessed. A partial skeleton from Green Waterhole/Fossil Cave in the Tantanoola District of South Australia is referred to Cryptogyps lacertosus on the basis of similar size to bones of this species and that the associated coracoid is identical to that found with a tarsometatarsus that was previously referred to this species, coming from Leaena’s Breath Cave on the Nullarbor Plain, Western Australia. This partial skeleton allowed additional material from the Old Collections, Wellington Caves, and Walli Caves in New South Wales to be referred to this species. A second species, more robust than A. audax, is identified from material from Victoria Fossil Cave at Naracoorte. Phylogenetic analyses determined this species to be the sister taxon of the much larger Dynatoaetus gaffae recently described from several Australian sites, and so we name it as Dynatoaetus pachyosteus sp. nov. Further fragmentary remains attributable to either A. audax, C. lacertosus or D. pachyosteus are recorded from sites in the Wellington Caves complex, NSW. This study increases the known diversity of raptors in Pleistocene Australia, consistent with the presence of the more diverse megafaunal prey that existed at the time. Ellen K. Mather [ math0083@flinders.edu.au ], College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Michael S. Y. Lee [ Mike.Lee@samuseum.sa.gov.au ], Earth Sciences Section, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Australia (College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia); Diana A. Fusco [ diana.fusco@flinders.edu.au ], College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; John Hellstrom [ j.hellstrom@unimelb.edu.au ], Faculty of Science, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Melbourne, 3010, Australia; Trevor H. Worthy [ trevor.worthy@flinders.edu.au ], College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

Bridging Evolutionary History and Conservation of New World Vultures.

The New World Vultures (Cathartidae) include seven species of obligate scavengers that, despite their ecological relevance, present critical information gaps around their evolutionary history and conservation. Insights into their phylogenetic relationships in recent years has enabled the addressing of such information gaps through approaches based on phylogeny. We reconstructed the ancestral area in America of the current species using two regionalization schemes and methods: Biogeography with Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis (BioGeoBears) and Bayesian Binary Model-Monte Carlo Markov Chains (BBM-MCMC). Then, we identified the priority species and areas for conservation by means of the Evolutionary Distinctiveness index (ED), as a proxy of the uniqueness of species according to phylogeny, and the Global Endangerment index (GE), mapping phylogenetic diversity. We found that the ancestral area of New World Vultures in America corresponds to South America, with dispersal processes that led to a recolonization of North America by Coragyps atratus, Gymnogyps californianus and Cathartes aura. We identified the Black Vulture, G. californianus and Vultur gryphus as priority species based on ED and "Evolutionary Distinct Globally Endangered" (EDGE) indexes, and the lowlands of Amazon River basin and the Orinoco basin and some tributaries areas of the Guiana Shield were identified as the priority areas when mapping the phylogenetic diversity. This study highlights the importance of filling knowledge gaps of species of conservation concern through the integration of evolutionary and ecological information and tools and, thus, developing adequate strategies to enhance the preservation of these species in the face of the current loss of biodiversity.

A checklist of the tick of vultures, with the first record of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus linnaei (Acari: Ixodidae) from the Indian vulture, Gyps indicus (Falconiformes: Accipitridae)

We report the presence of multiple brown dog ticks (Rhicephalus linnaei) from the Indian vulture Gyps indicus. This paper constitutes the first report of this tick species from the vulture, and also the first documentation of ectoparasites from vultures in Malaysia. Additionally, we have conducted a literature review on ticks from vultures worldwide, resulting in 21 tick species consisted of six genera (Argas, Ornithodoros, Amblyomma, Hyalomma, Ixodes and Rhipicephalus) recorded from eight Old World vultures and two New World vultures. The lists of ticks infesting both vulture groups, along with pathogens detected from some of these ticks, are provided in this paper.

Avian Pox in New World Vultures: An Unnoticeable or Overlooked Infectious Disease?

Avian Pox in New World Vultures: An Unnoticeable or Overlooked Infectious Disease?

Effects of the environmental conditions and seasonality on a population survey of the Andean condor Vultur gryphus in the tropical Andes.

Among the New World vultures, the Andean condor is considered one of the most culturally and ecologically important species. However, their populations are declining over their entire distributional range. In response, conservation strategies have been implemented in many countries to reverse the increasing extinction risk of this species. The initiatives rely on extensive population surveys to gather basic information necessary to implement policies and to intervene efficiently. Still, there is a need to standardize the surveys based on seasonality and suitable environmental conditions throughout the species distribution. Here, we provide the first assessment of how daily temperature, rainfall, and seasonality influence surveys of Andean condors on a communal roost in the central Peruvian Andes. Using an autoregressive generalized linear model, we associated environmental variables with visual surveys of adult and young condors at three different times of the day and three times a week between June 2014 and March 2015. We found that both adults and young Andean condors showed a threefold reduction in the use of the communal roost after the beginning of the rainy season. Colder and drier days (dry season) are preferable for surveying, as we expect the total number of condors using communal roosts to reduce under rainy (rainfall = -0.53 ± 0.16) and warmer days (temperature = -0.04 ± 0.02) days. Therefore, the significant variation in the use of roosts across seasons and hours should be carefully accounted for in national surveys, at the risk of undermining the full potential of the communal roost surveys. Moreover, we also found a strong bias towards immatures (about 76%) in the adult:immature ratio and a remarkable absence of Andean condors during the wet season. These results suggest that the species might be using other unknown communal roosts hierarchically. Such results provide key information for selecting priority areas for conservation and selecting the best time to survey this species in the tropical Andes. Finally, it may open a fruitful avenue for further research on the protection of the Andean condor.

Do Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Pose a Risk to Wildlife?

The vast majority of knowledge related to the question "To what extent do pharmaceuticals in the environment pose a risk to wildlife?" stems from the Asian vulture crisis (>99% decline of some species of Old World vultures on the Indian subcontinent related to the veterinary use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug [NSAID] diclofenac). The hazard of diclofenac and other NSAIDs (carprofen, flunixin, ketoprofen, nimesulide, phenylbutazone) to vultures and other avian species has since been demonstrated; indeed, only meloxicam and tolfenamic acid have been found to be vulture-safe. Since diclofenac was approved for veterinary use in Spain and Italy in 2013 (home to ~95% of vultures in Europe), the risk of NSAIDs to vultures in these countries has become one of the principal concerns related to pharmaceuticals and wildlife. Many of the other bodies of work on pharmaceutical exposure, hazard and risk to wildlife also relate to adverse effects in birds (e.g., poisoning of scavenging birds in North America and Europe from animal carcasses containing pentobarbital, secondary and even tertiary poisoning of birds exposed to pesticides used in veterinary medicine as cattle dips, migratory birds as a vector for the transfer of antimicrobial and antifungal resistance). Although there is some research related to endocrine disruption in reptiles and potential exposure of aerial insectivores, there remain numerous knowledge gaps for risk posed by pharmaceuticals to amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Developing noninvasive sampling techniques and new approach methodologies (e.g., genomic, in vitro, in silico, in ovo) is important if we are to bridge the current knowledge gaps without extensive vertebrate testing. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:595-610. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

The Complete Genome Sequence of Sarcoramphus papa (Cathartidae), the King Vulture.

Sarcoramphus papa is a New World Vulture found predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. We present the whole genome sequence of this species. Illumina paired-end reads were assembled by a de novo method followed by a finishing step. The raw and assembled data are publicly available via GenBank: Sequence Read Archive (SRR19167646) and assembled genome (GCA_027580115).

DIGESTIVE AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAPPET-FACED VULTURES (TORGOS TRACHELIOTOS) AND GRIFFON VULTURES (GYPS FULVUS) EX SITU.

Appropriate diets for ex situ wildlife are essential for animal health and welfare and yet ex situ facilities are often constrained by feed ingredient availability when attempting to replicate natural diets. In obligate carnivores such as vultures, digestive strategies are likely to have evolved alongside feeding behaviors, which may differ between even sympatric species. To begin to understand the digestive strategies of two Old World vulture species (lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotos, n = 3, and griffon vulture Gyps fulvus, n = 4) of similar body size but divergent feeding habits, their feeding and digestion strategies on a diet of whole rats were compared. The food intake, color of excreta, excreta consistency, and carbon and nitrogen excretion were measured. Mean retention time of the digesta was analyzed using titanium dioxide as an inert marker in a diet of chicken carcass. Lappet-faced vultures consumed significantly greater quantities of food than griffon vultures and were less selective. Lappet-faced vultures primarily produced brown excreta while griffon vultures primarily produced green excreta, with much higher carbon and nitrogen concentrations. The consistency of excreta and the mean retention time did not differ between the species but may have been too variable to detect differences. A strong positive correlation was found between food intake per metabolic weight and the proportion of brown excreta, and both were negatively correlated with green excreta, as well as excreta concentrations of nitrogen and carbon. These findings align with their reported feeding ecology, with lappet-faced vultures showing adaptations to less-digestible carcass material compared with griffon vultures. Despite their similar size and overlapping natural habitat, these results suggest a need for differentiated feed provisioning for these species when under human care.

The mechanisms of color production in black skin versus red skin on the heads of New World vultures

A determination of how the color of animal integument is produced is a starting point for investigations into the function and evolution of coloration. The mechanisms that give rise to the color of bare skin of New World vultures are largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the source of color production in the bare skin of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) and Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). Using UV–vis reflectance spectroscopy, we found evidence that hemoglobin is the primary pigment responsible for the red coloration of the bare skin on the heads of Turkey Vultures, and that eumelanin is responsible for the black coloration of the bare skin on the heads of Black Vultures. Light microscopy of incisional skin samples further supported these mechanisms of color production by revealing the presence of numerous blood vessels near the surface of the Turkey Vulture skin, and a high concentration of melanosomes in the skin of Black Vultures. Using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we detected carotenoids within the skin of both species with significantly higher total concentrations of carotenoids in the skin of Turkey Vultures compared to the skin of Black Vultures. The carotenoids detected were dietary carotenoids that typically produce yellow coloration when accumulated in integument and were present in low concentrations. We hypothesize that the dietary carotenoids present do not contribute to the color of the skin, but rather help to compensate for the lack of melanosomes found in Turkey Vulture skin. The presence of additional carotenoids may act as an antioxidant to minimize UV damage when the bare Turkey Vulture head skin is exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time when soaring and scavenging for food.

Towards a Genetic Linkage Map of the California Condor, an Endangered New World Vulture Species.

The development of a linkage map is an important component for promoting genetic and genomic studies in California condors, an endangered New World vulture species. Using a set of designed anonymous microsatellite markers, we genotyped a reference condor population involving 121 individuals. After marker validation and genotype filtering, the genetic linkage analysis was performed using 123 microsatellite loci. This resulted in the identification of 15 linkage groups/subgroups that formed a first-generation condor genetic map, while no markers linked to a lethal chondrodystrophy mutation were found. A panel of polymorphic markers that is instrumental in molecular parentage diagnostics and other genetic studies in the California condor was selected. Further condor conservation genomics research will be focused on updating the linkage map and integrating it with cytogenetic and BAC-based physical maps and ultimately with the genome sequence assembly.

Scavenger assemblages are structured by complex competition and facilitation processes among vultures

AbstractUnderstanding the factors that allow multiple species to coexist and share resources is an outstanding question in community ecology. Animals that share resources tend to use different strategies to decrease potential competition, through morphological adaptations, establishment of hierarchies, behavioral adaptations or spatial or temporal segregation. The main objective of this study was to infer interspecific processes of competition and facilitation through the study of species co‐occurrence patterns in a vertebrate scavenger guild in de Brazilian cerrado. We analyzed patterns of spatial and temporal co‐occurrence between species pairs, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and determined the activity patterns of the different scavenger species. For this purpose, we placed and monitored 11 large (i.e. goat) and 45 small (i.e. chicken) carcasses by camera‐trapping, obtaining a total of 27 448 images. Our results show complex competitive and facilitative relationships among scavenging species in the Brazilian cerrado that are influenced by carcass size and change depending on the spatial and temporal scale at which they are analyzed. The scavenger assemblages that consumed large and small carcasses were different, evidencing resource partitioning between obligate and facultative scavengers. Furthermore, as an alternative to reduce competition levels, most species showed differences in their scavenging patterns, in addition to a strong temporal segregation during carcass consumption. Regarding New World vultures, our results suggest a strong interference competition between species with clear differences in their ecological traits (e.g. size, social behavior). However, we also found evidence of facilitation processes between vulture species in the location and access to the interior of the carcasses. Our findings highlight the role of obligate scavengers both in competition and facilitation processes in this vertebrate scavenger community. Future research should focus on investigating which species play the most important role in the structure and dynamics of this community, also considering intraspecific and behavioral patterns.

A 14,000-year-old genome sheds light on the evolution and extinction of a Pleistocene vulture

The New World Vulture [Coragyps] occidentalis (L. Miller, 1909) is one of many species that were extinct by the end of the Pleistocene. To understand its evolutionary history we sequenced the genome of a 14,000 year old [Coragyps] occidentalis found associated with megaherbivores in the Peruvian Andes. occidentalis has been viewed as the ancestor, or possibly sister, to the extant Black Vulture Coragyps atratus, but genomic data shows occidentalis to be deeply nested within the South American clade of atratus. Coragyps atratus inhabits lowlands, but the fossil record indicates that occidentalis mostly occupied high elevations. Our results suggest that occidentalis evolved from a population of atratus in southwestern South America that colonized the High Andes 300 to 400 kya. The morphological and morphometric differences between occidentalis and atratus may thus be explained by ecological diversification following from the natural selection imposed by this new and extreme, high elevation environment. The sudden evolution of a population with significantly larger body size and different anatomical proportions than atratus thus constitutes an example of punctuated evolution.

Coragyps atratus (BECHSTEIN, 1793)

Coragyps atratus is a species of New World vulture belonging to the Cathartiformes order. Its geographical distribution comprises urban areas from the South of North America, Central America, and South America to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. This species is increasingly adapted to live close to human concentrations, benefiting from the food supply due to the incorrect disposal of organic waste, therefore, these factors contributed to the population increase. C. atratus are common near urban areas and can lead to several problems, such as damage to urban architecture, including historic buildings. However, C. atratus provides invaluable ecosystem services, increasing the flow of nutrients through food chains and reducing the transmission of infectious diseases through carcass removal. C. atratus uses a mosaic of habitat types to build its nests, even in urban environments. We describe here an unconventional case of nesting by C. atratus in a building in an urban area in the municipality of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

A new look at an old Australian raptor places Taphaetus lacertosus de Vis 1905 in the Old World vultures (Accipitridae: Aegypiinae).

The Australian Pleistocene fossil record of the Accipitridae (hawks, eagles and Old World vultures) is sparse and poorly known. Only two extinct confirmed accipitrid species have been described for this time period; both have received little investigation since their description. One is Taphaetus lacertosus de Vis, 1905, described from a distal humerus and a quadrate from north-eastern South Australia. While this species was verified as an accipitrid in subsequent studies, its more precise taxonomic affinities have remained conjectural. In this study, a new analysis incorporating newly referred material and phylogenetic analyses using a wide range of accipitriforms reveals that the lectotype humerus of T. lacertosus is an Old World vulture in the subfamily Aegypiinae. The associated quadrate, one of two original syntypes from which de Vis named this species, is of an indeterminate species of ardeid. We erect the novel genus Cryptogyps, to accommodate the species lacertosus, as it cannot be placed in Taphaetus de Vis, 1891, because the type species of this genus, Uroaetus brachialis de Vis, 1889, was transferred back to the genus Uroaetus, a synonym of Aquila Brisson, by de Vis in 1905. Further, U. brachialis is now considered a synonym of Aquila audax (Latham, 1801). Moreover, Taphaetus de Vis, 1891 is a senior homonym of Taphaetus de Vis, 1905, type species Taphaetus lacertosus de Vis, 1905, making the 1905 version of the genus unavailable. Newly referred fossils from Wellington Caves (NSW) and the Nullarbor Plains (WA) reveal this taxon had a wide geographical range across Pleistocene Australia. The referred tarsometatarsus lacks hyper-developed trochleae, indicating that Cryptogyps lacertosus (de Vis, 1905) comb. nov., was probably a scavenger like other aegypiines. Identification of Cryptogyps lacertosus as an aegypiine significantly expands the palaeogeographical range of the Old World vultures, hitherto unknown in Australia. The avian guild of large, obligate scavenging birds of prey, is currently absent in the modern Australian biota, but its former presence is not surprising given the megafauna-rich communities of the Pleistocene.

SLENDER-BILLED VULTURE GYPS TENUIROSTRIS' DISTRIBUTION RANGE IS LIKELY SHRINKING IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH ACCORDING TO RECENT SURVEY

The Slender-billed Vulture (SBV) is an old world vulture currently distributed in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. It is enlisted as “Critically endangered” species and its population is declining. SBV has been previously reported from many areas of Arunachal Pradesh (A.P). Recently, we studied the current occurrence area of SBV from 2016 to 2019 in A.P and then we compared our nding with past spatial distribution range as reported by earlier researchers. After analysis, we found approximately 18.67%, i.e. around 1430.12 km2, likely shrinkage in SBV distribution range. It is a signicant decreased in range compare to the past range which was approximately 19431 km2 and in the study it was found to be disappeared from two of six previously recorded districts of the state. Earlier, it was reported from Changlang, Papum Pare, East Siang, Lohit, Namsai and Lower Dibang Valley but in our extensive survey for four years, not a single individual was sighted from Changlang and Papum pare districts. Highest individuals of SBV were recorded from Daying Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary of East Siang district and three other districts which are sharing border with Assam. These ndings will help to formulate appropriate and effective conservation policies in the future to protect SBV and its habitat, as well as to stabilize the gradual shrinkage of its distribution range in A.P.