Vulture News 72 July 2017 VULTURE NEWS. The Journal of the IUCN Vulture Specialist Group. No. 72 July 2017 CONTENTS

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1 VULTURE NEWS The Journal of the IUCN Vulture Specialist Group No. 72 July 2017 CONTENTS ARTICLES Talons and beaks are viable but underutilized samples for detecting organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide poisoning in raptors 3 Ngaio Richards, Irene Zorrilla, Joseph Lalah, Peter Otieno, Isabel Fernandez, Monica Calvino and Joaquin Garcia Observations on the breeding of Indian long-billed vultures Gyps indicus at Gapernath, Chambal River in Rajasthan, India 14 Chetan Misher, Hemant Bajpai, Santosh Bhattarai, Prerna Sharma, Rishi Sharma and Nirdesh Kumar SHORT COMMUNICATIONS, NOTES AND REPORTS Bird-strike of a Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus in the Balearic Islands, Spain 22 Alvaro Camiña and Joan Mayol Comoé National Park a refuge for critically endangered vulture species in West Africa. 25 Volker Salewski Coprophagy of African Wild Dog faeces by Hooded Vultures in Botswana 34 Richard P. Reading, Botilo Tshimologo, and Glyn Maude 1

2 Griffon what s in a name? 38 Peter Mundy IUCN Species Survival Commission: Vulture Specialist Group 42 Vulture updates - March Around the World of Vultures & VSG activities 44 Printed by Jetline Modderfontein, Johannesburg Published by the Birds of Prey Programme, Endangered Wildlife Trust Editor: Campbell Murn Associate Editors: Peter Mundy and Darcy Ogada Front cover: Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus in flight, Sindh, Pakistan (Zahoor Salmi) Back cover: Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus watching and following an African wild dog Lycaon pictus as it defecates in the Okavango Delta, Botswana (Richard Reading) 2

3 ARTICLES Talons and beaks are viable but underutilized samples for detecting organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide poisoning in raptors Ngaio Richards 1,5*, Irene Zorrilla 2, Joseph Lalah 3, Peter Otieno 4, Isabel Fernandez 2, Monica Calvino 2 and Joaquin Garcia 2 1 Working Dogs for Conservation, PO Box 280, Bozeman, Montana 59771, USA 2 Environmental and Water Agency of Andalusia, Division of Integrated Environmental Quality. Regional Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Center for Analysis and Diagnosis of Wildlife - CAD, Avda. Lope de Vega, 9, Málaga 29010, Spain. 3 Kenya Polytechnic University College, Department of Chemical Science and Technology, Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya 4 Pest Control Products Board, PO Box 2757, Kisumu, Kenya 5 William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32608, USA *Corresponding author: ngaio@wd4c.org Abstract In Europe and Africa, birds of prey, particularly vultures, are being secondarily or intentionally poisoned with acutely toxic concentrations of organophosphorus (OP) and carbamate (CM) pesticides in baited food items. By the time a mortality incident is discovered, few or no fresh carcasses, considered optimal for toxicological analysis, remain. Regardless, residues are not always detectible in typically analyzed samples (e.g., liver) because death can occur so rapidly. Without concrete forensic evidence to implicate the compounds being used and an intent to poison, ongoing local mitigation and regulatory efforts will continue to be undermined. We have sought additional means of gathering information about deliberate wildlife poisoning by testing the feasibility of detecting residues in decomposed carcasses that would not 3

4 otherwise be analyzed. As likely first points of contact with poisoned food items, talons and beaks may contain detectible residues. Here, we report on the analysis of talon (n = 9) and beak (n = 7) samples conducted at the Center for Analysis and Diagnosis of Wildlife (CAD) in southern Spain from Aldicarb and metabolites, methomyl and chlorfenvinphos were detected in talon samples, whereas aldicarb, chlorpyrifos and carbofuran were detected in the beaks. In several instances, the talon or beak was the only sample taken from a carcass that tested positive. We suggest that not recovering talons or heads/beaks from the field for analysis, especially in the absence of other viable carcass components, may result in pesticide residues - and deliberate poisoning incidents - being overlooked. In North America, avian mortality/debilitation related to organophosphorus (OP) or carbamate (CM) pesticide exposure is commonly associated with exposure during agricultural applications (Mineau et al. 2012b). In this context, inhibition of brain cholinesterase (acetylcholinesterase; AChE) activity is used as a diagnostic marker for determining avian exposure, in conjunction with confirmatory detection of residues in samples such as the liver or stomach contents (Henny & Elliott 2007, Hill & Fleming 1982, Mineau et al. 2012a). Given these analytical parameters, tissues from recent or fresh carcasses are viewed as optimal samples for toxicological analyses (Richards et al. 2014). Here, we address a deliberate and illegal poisoning exposure context. In Europe and Africa, wildlife species perceived to be in 4 competition with hunters or that threaten crops or livestock are intentionally being poisoned with extremely concentrated levels of OP and CM pesticides, and avian scavengers particularly Old World Vultures are suffering the consequences (Fajardo et al. 2012, Ogada 2014, Ogada et al. 2015). In Africa, avian scavengers are being secondarily poisoned at an alarming rate, by consuming livestock carcasses deliberately laced with OP and CM pesticides intended for predators, especially lions and, to an even greater extent, hyenas (Otieno et al. 2011, Ogada 2014, Ogada et al. 2015). These compounds are also used to deliberately poison birds for human consumption, whether as food (Odino 2012), or for recovery of their body parts including heads and feet which are then sold for traditional medicine or as fetish for enhancing a person s luck or success

5 (McKean et al. 2013, Buij et al. 2015). Vultures are now deliberately targeted by poachers who seek to prevent the birds overhead circling, which rangers and scouts have learned to monitor as an indication of illicit poaching activity (Ogada et al. 2015). Of all the affected European and African countries, Spain s response has been one of the most rapid, with the government of Andalucía launching an anti-poaching and antipoisoning strategy: the Estrategia Para el Control del Veneno. This has included training and deployment of detection dog-handler teams with the ability to locate any poisoned animal carcass working in partnership with wildlife agents proficient in recovering samples from potential wildlife scenes of crime according to rigorously established protocols. These samples are then submitted to the Center for Analysis and Diagnosis of Wildlife (CAD), where cause of death is determined through a series of comprehensive analyses and evidence of crimes against wildlife is gathered for prosecution of cases (Fajardo et al. 2012). Sourcing even moderately fresh carcasses for analyses has always posed a significant challenge within the mandate of the Estrategia. Even if a mass avian mortality incident suspected to arise from intentional 5 poisoning is reported promptly, there is still a lag time related to mobilizing the necessary resources and obtaining the required access permissions. Likewise, individuals that succumb to a toxic but sloweracting poison (e.g. chlorpyrifos) may be found away from the source of poisoning (e.g. a baited carcass) in a less conspicuous area, the deterioration of their carcasses facilitated by the ambient climatic conditions. Thus, the poor condition of the majority of the carcasses recovered during these investigation and submitted to CAD precludes analysis of AChE levels (Fajardo & Zorrilla 2016). Even when fresh carcasses are available, we caution that these compounds can be present in baits at such acutely toxic levels that birds die with the food still in their mouths, either unswallowed or regurgitated, before residues may reach other parts of the body (Richards et al. 2014, Richards et al. 2015, Fajardo & Zorrilla 2016). Given these challenging factors, personnel at the CAD have long been interested in assessing the feasibility of detecting residues in samples that coincide with initial (i.e. preingestion) points of contact with poison on a carcass, and that are better able to withstand environmental degradation than tissues (e.g. liver). Our investigations

6 have led to the detection of both CM (e.g. aldicarb) and OP (e.g. chlorfenvinphos) compounds in the palates and tongues of deliberately and/or unintentionally poisoned vultures, canids and domestic animals (Richards et al. 2015). Vyas et al. (2003) detected residues of the OP compound diazinon in (artificially exposed) gosling feet left outside for seven days. Residues of the CM carbofuran were also found in the (artificially exposed) talons of Eastern Screech-owls Megascops asio weathered for 28 days (Vyas et al. 2005). Otieno et al. (2010) detected residues of carbofuran and its primary metabolites in the talons and beaks of a desiccated African White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus carcass retrieved from an agricultural field in Kenya. In light of these findings, the opportunistic analysis of talons and heads/beaks was also initiated at CAD (Zoun & Spierenburg 1989, Richards et al Supplemental Information). Table 1 and 2 summarize the OP and CM compounds (and/or their main breakdown products) that have been detected in the talons and beaks, respectively, of various avian species submitted to the CAD as part of routine wildlife forensics investigations in southern Spain between 2012 and During these years, the talons (n = 9) and beaks (n = 7) in a total of six and five species, respectively, were analyzed at the CAD for OP, CM, organochlorine (OC) and pyrethroid compounds (as per Zoun & Spierenburg 1989, see Richards et al Supplemental Information). One OP and two CM compounds were detected in the talons (Table 1), whilst one OP and two CM compounds were identified in the beaks (Table 2). We note that residues of p,p -DDE were detected in the talons of the Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus and Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (Table 1; 0.05 and 0.25 mg/kg) and the talons of a Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus in which no other compounds were detected (0.06 mg/kg). Although these residues are consistent with historical agricultural use of DDT in Spain and other parts of Europe (Fajardo et al. 2012, Muños & Jiménez 2011), their detection, and by extension that of an OC compound in the talons, is nonetheless relevant where OC pesticides are used to poison wildlife, and in the context of broader environmental monitoring. 6

7 Table 1: Organophosphorus and carbamate residues detected in talons (n = 9) of avian carcasses analyzed at the Center for Analysis and Diagnosis of Wildlife (CAD) in southern Spain ( ) Species Black Kite Milvus migrans n = 4 Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus n = 1 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus n = 1 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus n = 1 Red Kite Milvus milvus n = 1 Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti n = 1 Pesticide (and/or metabolite) detected Aldicarb Aldicarb Aldicarb Sulfoxide Aldicarb Aldicarb sulfoxide Aldicarb sulfone Residue (mg/kg) Comments Also detected in the stomach NQ contents: Aldicarb: 45 mg/kg Aldicarb sulfoxide: 60 mg/kg Not detected in tissues, palate Methomyl 0.04 Chlorfenvinphos 0.08 Aldicarb Aldicarb sulfoxide Aldicarb Aldicarb Aldicarb sulfoxide NQ NQ or beak Not detected in the gizzard The only positive value obtained in all samples Carcass in poor condition, talons were the only sample that could be analyzed Not detected in crop or oesophagus Also detected and quantified in the gizzard: Aldicarb: 147 mg/kg Aldicarb sulfoxide: 6 mg/kg Also detected and quantified in crop: Aldicarb: mg/kg A. sulfoxide: 0.94 mg/kg Gizzard: Aldicarb: 0.01 mg/kg Not detected in stomach, palate or beak NQ = not quantified, detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC) 7

8 In some instances, the talon or beak was the only sample in which residues were, or could, be detected. For example, every viable sample was collected from the carcass of the Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti and analyzed, however only the bird s talons yielded a positive result. Similarly, methomyl was only detected in the talons of a Black Kite Milvus migrans and chlorfenvinphos was only detected in those of a Cinereous Vulture. It also occurred that residues were detected in a bird s beak but not its talons or vice versa and only in the talons. Though indicative of dermal contact, the presence of OP/CM residues on/in an individual s talons (but not the beak) is not conclusive evidence of poison ingestion per se. However, reinforced by expert testimony regarding vulture/scavenger feeding morphology and behaviours in relation to a (poisoned) carcass, this finding is of evidentiary value. And, at least in Spain, the mere detection of an OP and/or CM compound in either of these samples alone would suffice to show intent to poison, and to bring a case to court, in conjunction with the other evidence gathered in situ (Fajardo & Zorrilla 2016). When the carcasses of multiple species have been recovered, residues detected in either 8 the beak or the talons of one carcass could compel a re-examination of others that had previously tested negative, especially if the latter was of a species accorded a higher protection status. Following a mass vulture poisoning in southern Spain in 2012, the detection of chlorfenvinphos residues in two Griffon Vultures prompted another examination of the carcass of a highly decomposed Cinereous Vulture that was also recovered from the scene (Richards et al. 2015). The bird s palate was removed for analysis, and subsequent detection of chlorfenvinphos in this sample further strengthened the legal justification for pursuing the case and ultimately served as a cornerstone of the secured conviction. Many of the species from which residues were detected in the talons and beaks (Tables 1 and 2) have been accorded a protected status of Endangered or Near Threatened by the IUCN, such as Egyptian Vulture and Cinereous Vulture and Red Kite Milvus milvus (BirdLife International 2013), which can be used to help secure a conviction and strengthen penalties. Briefly, from an analytical perspective, in all cases where the presence of a CM or OP compound was qualitatively established in talons or beaks, via

9 thin layer chromatography (TLC), quantitative evidence of the same was also obtained. We note that TLC capacity is often a fixture even in the most minimally equipped laboratory, and therefore, in the absence of further confirmatory/quantitative analysis, a qualitative analysis could at least be conducted to establish presence/absence of a pesticide. Table 2: Organophosphorus and carbamate residues detected in beaks (n = 7) of avian carcasses analyzed at the Center for Analysis and Diagnosis of Wildlife (CAD) in southern Spain ( ) Species Black Kite Milvus migrans n = 2 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus n = 1 Eurasian Eagle-Owl Bubo bubo n = 1 Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus n = 1 Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus n = 1 Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus n = 1 Pesticide (and/or metabolite) detected 9 Residue (mg/kg) Carbofuran 0.30 Comments The only positive value obtained, of all the samples analyzed Chlorpyrifos 2.96 Also detected in the stomach: 2.03 mg/kg Aldicarb 0.01 Carbofuran 0.02 Not detected in the gizzard Carbofuran NQ Also detected and quantified in the crop: 0.27 mg/kg Aldicarb 0.23 Also detected in the gizzard: 0.18 mg/kg Aldicarb 0.12 Not detected in the gizzard NQ = not quantified, detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC) The viability of beaks and talons as samples in which to determine pesticide poisoning in vultures and more broadly in avian mortality was discussed during a 2014 workshop that was jointly organized by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), the

10 environmental branch of the government of Andalucía and Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C) in the context of gathering conclusive evidence to mitigate the poisoning of African and Eurasian vultures. We realized during this meeting that further awareness was needed regarding the possibility of conducting toxicological analyses of avian talons and heads/beaks. We therefore urge our colleagues in Africa and Europe who encounter an avian mortality event in the field to consider collecting entire heads and talons for analysis of likely pesticides and their primary metabolites, especially given that relative to tissue samples, their recovery, storage and transportation is straightforward and requires minimal materials (Richards et al. 2014, Richards et al. 2015). In Europe where a legal framework is being forged, and in Africa, where efforts are underway to strengthen legislation, regulatory mechanisms and investigatory/analytical capacity, failure to utilize these samples in the absence of other viable carcass components may result in pesticide residues - and deliberate poisoning incidents - being overlooked. In Africa there could also be severe health repercussions to people who consume heads or feet (Richards et al. 2015) in the context of traditional 10 medicine or fetishism, for example in parts of western and central Africa (McKean et al. 2013, Buij et al. 2015). This is an area that requires further exploration, and that could be informed by toxicological analysis of beaks and talons. Following North American incidents of avian mass mortality related to agricultural applications, analysis of beaks and talons from carcasses too decomposed for AChE or tissue analysis could nonetheless provide additional information that would not otherwise be compiled. Simple but comprehensive protocols related to sample collection, storage and analysis, as well as follow-up support, are available upon request. Acknowledgements As always, we commend the wildlife agents working under the auspices of the Estrategia Para el Control del Veneno who collect these samples with the utmost care, and the members of the canine detection unit who help bring to light the evidence that is collected. The support of Dr. Iñigo Fajardo, Dirección General Gestion Medio Natural, Junta de Andalucía, is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks to Jose Rafa Garrido from Medio Ambiente y Agua de Andalucía, Imperial Eagle Monitoring

11 Programme. We also extend our sincere gratitude to CAD personnel for their usual professional involvement. This manuscript was significantly improved by comments from Darcy Ogada, André Botha and two anonymous reviewers. Keywords: talon, beak, vulture, raptor, pesticide, poisoning, forensic References BirdLife International Species factsheet: Aegypius monachus. Downloaded from on 2 February BirdLife International Species factsheet: Milvus milvus. Downloaded from on 2 February BirdLife International Species factsheet: Neophron percnopterus. Downloaded from on 2 February Buij, R., Nikolaus, G., Whytock, R. Ingram, D. J. & Ogada, D Trade of threatened vultures and other raptors for fetish and bushmeat in West and Central Africa. Oryx 8: Fajardo, I., Ruiz, A., Zorrilla, I., Valero, A. Fernandez, I., Saez, E., Molino, F. M. & Olivares, J Use of specialised canine units to detect poisoned baits and recover forensic evidence in Andalucía (southern Spain). In: Carbofuran and wildlife poisoning: global perspectives and forensic approaches (Ed: N. L. Richards). John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, United Kingdom. Pp Fajardo, I. & Zorrilla, I Manual de Técnica Policial Ambiental Identificación in situ de causas de muerte en fauna silvestre (Environmental police techniques used to identify causes of wildlife mortality in situ). Consejeria de Medio Ambiente y Ordenacion del Territorio, Seville. Henny, C., & Elliott, J Toxicology. In: Raptor research and management techniques. Second Edition. (Eds: D.M. Bird & K.L. Bildstein). Raptor Research Foundation, Hancock House Publishers, USA & Canada. Pp

12 Hill, E. F. & Fleming, W. J Anticholinesterase poisoning of birds: Field monitoring and diagnosis of acute poisoning. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 1: McKean, S., Mander, M., Diederichs, N., Ntuli, L. Mavundla,, K., Williams, V. & Wakelin, J The impact of traditional use on vultures in South Africa. Vulture News 65: Mineau, P., Porter, S. & Meteyer, C. U. 2012a. Carbofuran: toxicity, diagnosing poisoning and rehabilitation of poisoned birds. Pages in N.L. Richards [ED.], Carbofuran and wildlife poisoning: global perspectives and forensic approaches. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., United Kingdom. Mineau, P., Lyon, L. & McMillan, S b. Impacts of carbofuran on birds in Canada and the United States. In: Carbofuran and wildlife poisoning: global perspectives and forensic approaches (Ed: N. L. Richards). John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, United Kingdom. Pp Muñoz-Arnanz, J. & Jiménez, B New DDT inputs after 30 years of prohibition in Spain. A case study in agricultural soils from south-western Spain. Environmental Pollution 159: Ogada, D The power of poison: pesticide poisoning of Africa s wildlife. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1322: Ogada, D. L., Shaw, P., Beyers, R. L., Buij, R., Murn, C., Thiollay, J-M., Beale, C. M., Holdo, R. M., Pomeroy, C., Baker, N., Krüger, S. C., Botha, A., Virani, M. Z., Monadjem, A. & Sinclair, A. R. E. (2015). Another continental vulture crisis: Africa s vultures collapsing toward extinction. Conservation Letters 9: Odino, M Measuring the conservation threat that deliberate poisoning poses to birds in Kenya: The case of pesticide hunting with Furadan in the Bunyala Rice Irrigation Scheme. In: Carbofuran and wildlife poisoning: global perspectives and forensic approaches (Ed: N. L. Richards). John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, United Kingdom. Pp Otieno, P.O., Lalah, J. O., Virani, M. Z., Jondiko, I. O. & Schramm, K. W Carbofuran and its toxic metabolites provide forensic evidence for 12

13 Furadan exposure in vultures Gyps africanus in Kenya. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 84: Richards, N. L., Hall, S. W., Harrison, N. M., Gautam, L., Scott, K. S., Dowling, G., Zorrilla, I. & Fajardo, I Merging wildlife and environmental monitoring approaches with forensic principles: Application of unconventional and non-invasive sampling in ecopharmacovigilance. Journal of Forensic Research 5: 228. Richards, N.L., Zorrilla, I., Fernandez, I., Calvino, M., Garcia, J. & Ruiz, A A preliminary assessment of the palate and tongue for detecting organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide exposure in the degraded carcasses of vultures and other animals (and Supplemental Information). Vulture News 68: Vyas, N.B., Span, J. W., Hulse, C. S., Torez, M., Williams, B. I. & Leffel, R Decomposed gosling feet provide evidence of insecticide exposure. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 98: Vyas, N.B., Spann, J. W., Hulse, C. S., Bauer, W. & Olson, S From the field: Carbofuran detected on weathered raptor carcass feet. Wildlife Society Bulletin 33: Zoun, P.E.F. & Spierenburg, T. J Determination of cholinesteraseinhibiting pesticides and some of their metabolites in cases of animal poisoning using thin-layer chromatography. Journal of Chromatography 462: ****** 13

14 Observations on the breeding of Indian long-billed vultures Gyps indicus at Gapernath, Chambal River in Rajasthan, India Chetan Misher 1,2, Hemant Bajpai 1,3, Santosh Bhattarai 1,4, Prerna Sharma 1, Rishi Sharma 1 and Nirdesh Kumar 1 1 Department of Wildlife Science, University of Kota, Rajasthan, India. 2 Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore, India 3 Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India 4 National Trust for Nature Conservation, Biodiversity Conservation Center, Ratnanagar-06, Sauraha, Chitwan , Nepal *Corresponding author chetanmisher@gmail.com Introduction A sharp decline in south Asian vulture populations (>95%) was first recorded in the late 90s in Bharatpur, India (Prakash 1999). This decline was reported to be most severe for three species of vulture: Oriental White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis, Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus and Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris (Prakash 1999, 2003; Gilbert 2003). Various hypotheses were proposed to explain the cause(s) of decline and the renal failure and avian gout found in many dead vultures that were examined (Pain 2001; Gilbert 2003). Eventually, a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) named diclofenac sodium was found to be highly correlated with numbers of dead vultures found in Pakistan s Punjab Province that died from renal failure and avian gout (Oakset al. 2004). Subsequent studies provided further evidence that diclofenac was the main cause of vulture mortality and population decline in south Asia (Green 2004, 2006). As a result, diclofenac was banned for veterinary use in India and other south Asian countries in order to protect depleted vulture populations. The positive effect of the ban on diclofenac was first reported in the form of gradually 14

15 increasing populations of Longbilled Vultures in Pakistan (Chaudhary 2012) and a reduction in the rate of population decline of Gyps vultures in India and Nepal (Prakash 2012). Of the nine species of vulture found in different habitats in India, seven occur in the western Indian state of Rajasthan (Naoroji 2007; Ali & Ripley2007). Once commonly distributed, species such as Oriental White-backed, Long-billed and Slender-billed Vulture are now categorised as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and are while provided highest legal protection in Schedule-I of Indian Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA), The Long-billed Vulture, easily distinguished from Slender-billed Vultures by the former s relatively large size and long robust neck, is a cliff-nesting species (Naoroji 2007), although in the desert and grasslands of the Thar region in western India, they have been recorded nesting on trees (Kulshreshtha 2001). The breeding season for Long-billed Vultures is from October to May/June (Naoroji 2007) and, despite being a priority species for conservation, relatively little is known about their breeding and nesting ecology (Naoroji 2007). Here, we report information on the 15 nesting ecology of Long-billed Vultures based on fortnightly monitoring of a nesting site at Gapernath, Chambal National Sanctuary, Kota, Rajasthan, India. Study Area The river Chambal is the only perennial river inthe western Indian state of Rajasthan. It originates from the state of Madhya Pradesh and runs north to the state of Uttar Pradesh via Rajasthan. A 225 km stretch of the river falls within Rajasthan and flows through seven districts: Kota, Bundi, Sawai-Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Karauli, Bhilwara, Tonk, Jhalawad, and Baran. The vegetation of the area consists of thorny forest, asubtype of the northern tropical forest (Champion & Seth 1968).The study area falls within the boundary of Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, which contains species such as Leopard Panthera pardus, Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus, Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena and Jackal Canis aureus. Gorges of river Chambal are home to a range of avian species including vultures and other raptors (Nair & Krishna 2013). Four resident species of vulture exist: Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, Long-billed Vulture, Oriental White-backed Vulture and Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps

16 calvus. Migratory GriffonVultures Gyps fulvus have been observed in the area (Birdlife International 2017).The river Chambal and its surrounding forest patches is also a breeding area for Oriental Whitebacked Vultures and Red-headed Vultures (Chhangani, 2007). Our study site (Figure 1) is situated 23 km north of Kota city, near Gapernath (N , E ) along an approximately one km of a V - shaped gorge through which the river Chambal flows. This area contains breeding Long-billed Vultures on both sides of the gorge, as well as other raptors such as Bonelli s eagle Aquila fasciata and Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis. Figure 1: Location of Gapernath, Chambal River, Rajasthan. 16

17 Methods The study area was visited every fortnight between November 2012 and April 2013 (n = 13) to monitor the nesting pattern of the vultures at Gapernath along the river Chambal. Two observers from each side of the gorge monitored the vultures and nests. On detection of a nest, its status was recorded (Table 1). Nests that contained an egg, an adult in an incubating posture and/or two adults were recorded as active. We considered nests with no eggs or unoccupied by vultures as inactive and excluded from observations. Based on the number of visits (n = 13) nesting success from egg laying to fledgling was recorded. A follow up visit was also made during December 2014 to assess changes in the number of active nests in the Gapernath gorge. We used Bushnell 8x40 binoculars and Nikon Coolpix P510 (42X zoom) for regular observation and for photographic records respectively. Results and Discussion A total of twenty-one nests was recorded. Of these, seventeen nests were active (Table 1). All nests were found to be on cliffs. The first egg was observed on23 November 2012 while the first hatching was on 22 January2013. Each nest was observed having only one egg, which was incubated continuously by either parent. Among the 17 active nests, successful hatching was observed in 16 nests. Thus we recorded hatching success as 94%. One egg was observed to be abandoned by the birds after 29 days of incubation during December. We also observed mating attempts (n=5) in adult birds during nestling period. Out of 16 chicks, one died at the hatching stage and one died during the fledgling stage, thus only 14 chicks fledged successfully with a success rate of 82.35%. The incubation period was 62.5±1.5 days and the overall nesting period was calculated as129.4±1.0days. The nest count survey during December 2014, recorded nine active nests of Long-billed Vultures in the same Gapernath gorge area. This 47.06% decline in nesting habitat use by the species could be due to disturbance by pilgrimage in the area. 17

18 Nest ID Year 2012 Year /11 27/11 02/12 21/12 13/01 22/01 10/02 21/02 22/02 14/03 18/03 20/03 05/04 N1 ICB ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD N2 ICB ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N3 ICB ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N4 ICB ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N5 ICB ICB ICB ABDN ABDN ABDN ABDN ABDN ABDN ABDN ABDN ABDN ABDN N6 ICB ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N7 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N8 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N9 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N10 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N11 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N12 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK DEAD N13 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N14 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N15 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N16 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY N17 ICB ICB ICB ICB CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK FLY Table 1: Status of observed nests of Long-billed Vultures Gyps indicus near the river Chambal, Rajasthan, India, between 2012 and ICB Incubating, ABDN Abandoned, CHK Chick, FLY Chick fledged. 18

19 Fourteen fledged birds in a year make this site a conservation priority as far as the survival of the species is concerned. Continuous monitoring of this site and along the entire Chambal River is necessary to collect information on population trends of the species, which can be crucial to propose conservation actions for this Critically Endangered species. Studies have shown several other sites with breeding colonies of Long-billed Vultures in different parts of the arid and semi-arid landscapes of Rajasthan (Chhangani 2004, 2009; Khatri 2015).We presume that more nesting colonies of Long-billed Vultures exist in the gorges along the river Chambal in Rajasthan and these need to be monitored on a priority basis as part of conservation efforts for this species in the area. This preliminary data on nesting success of the species is of conservation significance to understand nature and extent of habitat use and decline rate of the species in and around study site. Detailed studies to get ecological insights of nesting habitat decline and anthropogenic effects on breeding pairs with effective monitoring tool is suggested for long term thrive of the long billed vultures in Geparnath, Rajasthan. Acknowledgements We thank Dr Fatima Sultana and Department of Wildlife Science, University of Kota, Rajasthan for providing equipment. Thanks to CCF and DFO, Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan for their support, Dr Partap Kataria and DrAnil Kumar Chhangani for their guidance and valuable inputs in the draft. We would also like to thank Mr Tapeshwar Singh Bhati for logistics and field work and anonymous reviewer for comments on this manuscript. References Ali, S. & Ripley, S.D Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Bombay Natural History Society and Oxford University Press. BirdLife International.(2017. Important Bird Areas factsheet: National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary (Bundi/Kota). Downloaded from on 13/05/

20 Champion, H.G. & Seth, S. K A Revised Survey of the Forest Types of India. Manager of Publication, New Delhi. 404pp. Chaudhry, M. J. I.,Ogada, D., Malik, N.R.,Virani,M.Z.,and Giovanni, M.D The first evidence that populations of the critically endangered Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicusin Pakistan have increased following the ban of the toxic veterinary drug diclofenac in South Asia. Bird Conservation International 22: Chhangani, A. K Status of a breeding population of Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) in and around Jodhpur (Rajasthan), India.Vulture News 50: Chhangani, A. K Sighting and nesting site of a red-headed vulture, Sarcogypscalvus in Rajasthan, India. Indian Birds 3: Chhangani, A. K Status of vulture population in Rajasthan, India. Indian Forester, 135 (2): Gilbert, M., Virani, M. Z., Watson, R. T., Oaks, J. L., Benson, P. C., Khan, A. A., Ahmed, S., Chaudry, J., Arshad, M., Mahmood, S. and Shah, Q. A Breeding and mortality of Oriental White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensisin Punjab Province, Pakistan.Bird Conservation International 12: Green R.E., Newton I., Shultz S., Cunningham A.A., Gilbert M., Pain, D. J. & Prakash, V Diclofenac poisoning as a cause of vulture population declines across the Indian subcontinent.journal of Applied Ecology41: Green, R.E., Taggart, M.A., Das, D., Pain, D., Kumar, S.,Cunningham, A.A. and Cuthbert, R Collapse of Asian Vulture Populations: Risk of Mortality from Residues of the VeterinaryDrug Diclofenac in Carcasses of Treated Cattle. Journal of Applied Ecology43: Khatri P.C First nesting of critically endangered vulture in Bikaner: the nest site record of long-billed vulture (Gypsindicus) in kolayat tehsil, Bikaner. International Journal of Innovative Research and Review ISSN: (Online) Kulshreshtha, M Long-billed VultureGyps indicus nesting on trees in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan.Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society983:

21 Nair, T. & Krishna, Y. C Vertebrate fauna of the Chambal River Basin, with emphasis on the National Chambal Sanctuary, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5: Naoroji, R Birds of prey of Indian sub-continent. Om Books international, New Dehli. Oaks J.L., Gilbert M,. Virani M. Z., Watson R. T., Meteyer C. U.,Rideout, B. A., Shivaprasad, H. L., Ahmed, S., Chaudhry, M. J. I., Arshad, M., Mahmood, S., Ali, A. & Khan, A. A Diclofenac residues as the cause of vulture population decline in Pakistan. Nature 427: Pain, D. J Conservation of critically endangered Gyps vultures in India.In L. Bennun& Virani, M. Z. [Eds].Responding to the Asian vulture crisis: planning for vulture monitoring and conservation in Kenya. Proceedings and recommendations of a seminar and workshop held at the National Museums of Kenya, May National Museums of Kenya Ornithology Research Report 41, Nairobi. Prakash V., Bishwakarma M. C., Chaudhary A., Cuthbert R. &Dave R The Population Decline of Gyps Vultures in India and Nepal Has Slowed since Veterinary Use of Diclofenac was Banned. PLoS ONE 7(11): e Prakash, V., Pain D. J, Cunningham A.A, Donald P.F. &Prakash N The catastrophic collapse of Indian White-backed Gyps bengalensis and Longbilled Gyps indicus vulture populations. Biological Conservation109: Prakash, V Status of vultures in Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan with special reference to population crash in Gyps species. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 96: ****** 21

22 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS, NOTES AND REPORTS Bird-strike of a Cinereous Vulture monachus in the Balearic Islands, Spain Aegypius Alvaro Camiña 1* and Joan Mayol 2 1 ACRENASL Environmental Consultants, Apartado de Correos 339, Majadahonda, Spain. 2 Servei de Protecció d'èspècies. Conselleria de Medio Ambiente, Agricultura y Pesca Govern Illes Balears. C/Gremi Corredors 10. (Son Rossinyol) Palma *Corresponding author: alvaro.camina.cardenal@gmail.com On 15 September 2016 a Lufthansa flight en route from Munich (Germany) to Palma de Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) was on its final approach and descent at 11h55 when a Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus smashed into the radome causing enough damage to cancel the return flight (Figure 1). The remains of the vulture were collected by the Airport Falconry services and stored at the Balearic Island Rehabilitation Center (COFIB) for examination. Species identification and age diagnosis was made based on the remains: the right thigh, tibia, tarsus, claws, toes and feathers, in comparison with other live birds. The rest of the body was not recovered. The remains belonged to an immature bird more than one year old, not a fledgling nor an adult. This incident occurred at an altitude of 5000 feet, (1525 m a.s.l.) and 17 nautical miles from runway 24L. Considering the altitude of the area of around 100 meters, the bird was flying at 1400 m above ground. We have not found any other Old World vulture bird-strike in the bibliography except that of a Rüppell s Griffon in Ivory Coast (Laybourne 1974) and four African White-backed vultures in Kenya (Owino et al. 2004). These latter events are perhaps due to the close 22

23 location of the Nairobi National Park in relation to Nairobi s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Figure 1: Cinereous Vulture remains smashed in the radome of the Lufthansa flight in Majorca on 15 th September Cinereous Vultures live in mountainous areas of Majorca Island with an estimated population of 200 individuals. Thirty-seven breeding pairs laid 32 eggs and produced 24 fledglings in However, displacements to lower areas in the plains are common. During the days prior to the incident, up to three different vultures were seen over that area. It is the lambing time and Common ravens (Corvus corax) also gather to scavenge for stillborn or even predate on live lambs themselves. Thus, food availability justifies the presence of vultures there. In addition, Palma de Majorca Airport is the third-ranked airport in Spain in terms of average commercial aviation operations and number of passengers per year with 180,000 flights and 23,000,000 people transported, respectively. These data result in a bird-strike rate of vultures / operations. Over the last 15 years no other incident has been reported with 23

24 vultures in Majorca but strikes, as well as crashes, of small aircraft have recently occurred at other Spanish airports. The increase in numbers of vulture strikes in Spain (Margalida 2016) are not related to a single cause but likely the result of interactions between an increase of flight operations, vulture abundance, food distribution and land use changes. Key words: Aegypius monachus, Bird-strike, Cinereous Vulture, Majorca References Laybourne, R.C Collision between a vulture and an aircraft at an altitude of 37,000 feet. The Wilson Bulletin 86(4): Margalida, A Stop vultures from striking aircraft. Nature 536: 274. Owino, A., Biwott, N. & Amutete, G Bird strike incidents involving Kenya Airways flights at three Kenyan Airports, African Journal of Ecology 42: ****** 24

25 Comoé National Park a refuge for critically endangered vulture species in West Africa. Volker Salewski Michael-Otto-Institut im NABU, Goosstroot 1, Bergenhusen, Germany Volker.Salewski@NABU.de A preliminary report of a visit to the park, 28 Dec Feb 2017 Comoé National Park (hereafter CNP) is, at about 11,500 km², one of the largest national parks in West Africa. It is situated in north-eastern Côte d Ivoire. Especially in the south-west, the park consists of a savannah-forest mosaic with gallery forest along the main rivers (Comoé, Iringou, Kongo) (Fig. 1). CNP is known to host five species of vultures: Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis (frequent), Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus (frequent), White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus (common), Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotus (uncommon) and Whiteheaded Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis (frequent) (Salewski 2000). Between 1994 and 2000, the author spent in total about 24 months in CNP, mostly in the south-west, with regular visits to the north-west in 1998/99. The author revisited the south-west again for two visits of about two weeks each in January/February 2015 and During the recent visits it was apparent that large antelopes (roan antelope Hippotragus equinus, hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus) were apparently much more frequent in the south-west compared to the 1990s and that the numbers of vultures (mainly White-backed Vultures, but also Palm-nut Vultures, Hooded Vultures and White-headed Vultures) seen were surprisingly high with a high proportion of immature birds indicating good breeding success in recent years. The observation of a relatively high density of vultures, with good breeding success, runs counter to the trend described for Africa in general and West Africa in particular 25

26 (Thiollay 2006, Ogada et al. 2015) and let to the initiation of the Vulture Conservation Project of the Naturschutzbund Deutschland, BirdLife partner in Germany (NABU). The aims of a first trip to CNP in the framework of the project in 2016/17 were: 1. To search for vultures and vulture nests to assess the status of the different species in the southwest of the park; 2. To capture two Whiteheaded Vultures or White-backed Vultures to equip them with satellite tags; 3. To introduce the project to the park-authorities of the Office Ivorien des Parcs et Reserves (OIPR), to the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), to the authorities of the Ecological Research Station of the University of Würzburg, Germany, and to professors of the University of Abidjan, all four institutions cooperating together in the park. Here, the first results are presented in a nutshell. Search for vultures Between 29 December 2016 and 7 February 2017 search trips were performed on 28 days during which about 475 km were walked according to the GPS (Fig. 1). During these trips (Fig. 2) individuals of three species of vultures (excluding Palm-nut Vulture) and 23 species of other raptors (including Palm-nut Vulture) were encountered (Fig. 3). Fig. 3 does not include vultures that were attracted during the attempt to catch them or the hundreds of Yellowbilled Kites and Black Kites being attracted by bush-fires. There was a clear pattern in the distribution of vultures. Although raptors in general were encountered more or less frequently on all trips, vultures were only seen in the northern parts of the research area, with the exception of one White-headed Vulture. Furthermore, White-headed Vultures were in general seen further south compared to White-backed Vultures. A Hooded Vulture was seen only once in the vicinity of a nest. 26

27 Figure 1: Comoé National Park. The Ecological Research Station and tracks walked in search for vultures are shown in the south-west of the park. Figure 2: The author and K. Kouadio inspect Kapok trees for vulture nests. 27

28 In total twelve nests of White-backed Vultures, two nests of White-headed Vultures and one nest of a Hooded Vulture were discovered (Fig. 4). All nests were in Kapok trees Ceiba pentandra (Fig. 5). All nests of White-backed Vultures as well as the nest of the Hooded Vulture were in the gallery forest, whereas the two nests of White-headed Vultures were in isolated forests (Fig. 4). The nests of White-backed Vultures seemed to be clustered in some areas with one case of two nests in a single tree. Figure 3: Vultures and other raptors (including Palm-nut Vulture) encountered in the south-west of CNP. The two northernmost search-tracks (see Fig. 1) are not shown. Note that all areas depicted in green are forests despite that some are assigned to Wooded Savannah in Figure 1. 28

29 Figure 4: Vulture nests in Comoé National Park in January For Whitebacked Vulture one of the symbols indicates two nests that were situated in a single tree. Northernmost search-tracks are not shown. All areas in green are forests despite that some are assigned to Wooded Savannah in Fig. 1. Some smaller forests are not shown. Capture attempts On four days attempts were made to catch vultures with snares and a goat as bait. On the first day a Whitebacked Vulture was captured, but escaped again, probably because only a toe was caught in the snare. After this failure no vultures approached the bait for the rest of the day and the next day. A second capture attempt on two consecutive days one week later attracted approximately forty vultures (Fig. 6). The first birds at the bait were Bateleurs Terathopius ecaudatus, but no vultures approached the bait on the ground. Shortly before terminating the last capture attempt the following vultures were seen on a tree near the bait or on the ground: White-backed Vulture: 6 adults, 23 immatures, White-headed Vulture: 1 adult, 5 immatures, Hooded Vulture: 1 immature. A few more vultures were sitting on more distant trees. 29

30 Figure 5: Breeding Vultures in Comoé National Park in January Whitebacked Vulture (top), Hooded Vulture (bottom) 30

31 Figure 6: Vultures attracted by a carcass beneath the tree on which they perch Project partners During the official inauguration of the Ecological Research Station in the park the project was introduced to the OIPR director of the park M. Roger Yao Kouadio, several representatives of the University of Würzburg, Germany, and to Dr. N Golo A. Kone, the Ivorian representative of the Ecological Research Station (Fig. 7). All of them, including Prof. K.E. Linsenmair, the German director of the Ecological Research Station, expressed their motivation to support the project because vultures are an indicator of functioning savannah ecosystems and could therefore serve as an umbrella species to promote the awareness of the importance for conservation of soudanian-guinean savannah-biomes in the park itself. At the University of Nangui Abrogouain in Abidjan, the possibilities of two master-theses in the framework of the project were discussed with Dr. N Golo A. Kone and Prof. Souleymane Konate. The first thesis is aimed to investigate the distribution of vultures in CNP, and the second, in co-operation with an anthropologist, is planned to investigate the role of vultures in the Ivorian society and the reasons for the decline of vulture populations in 31

32 the country. Furthermore, in a meeting at the GIZ office the project was discussed and U. Caspary who is responsible for the activities of the GIZ in CNP expressed his support for the project. Figure 7: The author explains the vulture project to representatives of the Universities of Würzburg, Germany and Abidjan, Côte d Ivoire. From left: Prof. Thomas Schmidt, University of Würzburg, German director of the Ecological Research Station; Dr. Volker Salewski, NABU; Prof. Barbara Sponholz, vice-president of the University of Würzburg; Dr. N Golo A. Kone, University of Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Ivorian representative of the Ecological Research Station. Perspective Vultures of three species (excluding Palm-nut Vulture) were observed and a total of 15 nests found in CNP between December 2016 and February The conservation status of these species is critically endangered (IUCN 2016) and in West Africa they occur almost exclusively in large reserves (Thiollay 2006). As most of the 32

33 dangers that are listed by Ogada et al. (2015) are not encountered in CNP, the park may serve as vulturesave-zone and may serve as a key area for the conservation of vultures in West Africa. There are, however, indications that vultures reduced their range and that they were more abundant in more southern areas in CNP about 20 years ago (V. Salewski, pers. obs.). The reason for this potential reduction will be investigated in the future. Besides the two projects in cooperation with the University of Nangui Abrogoua in Abidjan attempts to capture vultures to employ satellite tags will be intensified to investigate home ranges of different age classes of the respective species. It was shown that it is possible to bait a good number of vultures and intensified attempts to capture vultures should be successful in the future. All coordinates of raptors seen less than 500 m away from the author are deposited in the African Raptor DataBank ( sources/). The is a project of the NABU International Naturschutzstiftung. References IUCN (2016) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version < Downloaded on 22 February Ogada, D. et al Another continental vulture crisis: Africa s vultures collapsing toward extinction. Conservation Letters 9: Salewski, V The birds of Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast. Malimbus 22: Thiollay, J.-M The decline of raptors in West Africa: long-term assessment and the role of protected areas. Ibis 148: ****** 33

34 Coprophagy of African Wild Dog faeces by Hooded Vultures in Botswana Richard P. Reading 1,2 *, Botilo Tshimologo 2,3, and Glyn Maude 1,4 1 Raptors Botswana, Maun, Botswana 2 Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana 3 BirdLife Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana 4 Department of Research & Conservation, Denver Zoological Foundation, Denver, CO, USA *Corresponding author: rpreading@gmail.com Coprophagy by vertebrates is rare, especially among birds and species that consume the faeces of other species (Soave & Brand 1991, Hirakawa 2001, Shimada 2012). While New World Vultures practice coprophagy (Del Hoyo et al. 1994, Buckley 1999, Blanco et al. 2013), the only Old World vulture we could find that consumes faeces is the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) (Negro et al. 2002, Hidalgo et al. 2009). Egyptian Vultures feed on the faeces of ungulates, apparently to obtain carotene (Negro et al. 2002), while New World vultures apparently are searching for undigested prey or nutrients that have difficulty obtaining elsewhere (Del Hoyo et al. 1994, Buckley 1999, Blanco et al. 2013). Other species practice coprophagy to obtain iron, B12, fatty acids, protein, rare nutrients (Soave and Brand 1991). While tracking African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) as part of a behavioural study in the Okavango Delta region of Botswana, we observed coprophagy behaviour by Hooded Vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus). Hooded Vultures often accompanied wild dogs in northern Botswana. In March, 2010, while with a pack of dogs that had recently killed a male Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), we observed several Hooded Vultures. While the dogs rested near the kill, the vultures picked at scraps of the carcass and followed the dogs to quickly consume their faeces, including liquid stool, whenever the dogs vacated (Figures 1-3). 34

35 Figure 1: Hooded Vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) watching and following an African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) as it defecates in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Figure 2: Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) consuming African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) faeces in the Okavango Delta, Botswana 35

36 Figure 3: Hooded Vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) consuming African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) faeces in the Okavango Delta, Botswana Other researchers report that Hooded Vultures follow wild dogs, but none report on coprophagy (Squires 2005, Steyn 2005). Although safari guides and wild dog researchers appear to know about coprophagy behaviour, we could not find it documented in the literature. We hypothesize that Hooded Vultures obtain undigested nutrients from the consuming wild dog faeces, although they may well be obtaining rare nutrients as well or instead. If vultures practice coprophagy primarily for nutrition, African wild dogs provide Hooded Vultures with food from their kills and their faeces. Acknowledgments Support provided by Denver Zoological Foundation, Wildlife Wilderness Trust, and Kalahari Research and Conservation. 36

37 References Blanco, G, Hornero-Méndez, D., Lambertucci, S.A., Bautista, L.M., Wiemeyer, G., Sanchez-Zapata, J.A., Garrido-Fernández, J., Hiraldo, F., & Donázar, J.A Need and Seek for Dietary Micronutrients: Endogenous Regulation, External Signalling and Food Sources of Carotenoids in New World Vultures. PLOS ONE 8(6): e Buckley, N.J Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus). In: Poole A. (Ed.). The Birds of North America Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi: /bna.411 Del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. &Sargatal, J Handbook of the birds of the world, vol. 2: New World vultures to guineafowl. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. Fenolio, D. B., Graening, G.O., Collier, B.A. &Stout, J.F Coprophagy in a cave-adapted salamander; the importance of bat guano examined through nutritional and stable isotope analyses. Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 273(1585): Hidalgo, S., Zabala, J., Zuberogoitia, I., Askona, A. & Castillo, I Food of the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). Buteo 14: Negro, J.J., Grande, J. M., Tella, J.L., Garrido, J., Hornero, D., Donázar, J.A., Sanchez-Zapata, J.A., BenÍtez, J.R. & Barcell, M Coprophagy: An unusual source of essential carotenoids. Nature 416: Shimada, T Ducks foraging on swan faeces. Waterfowl 62: Soave, O. & Brand, C.D Coprophagy in animals: A review. The Cornell Veterinarian 81 (4): Squires, N Hooded Vulture follows wild dogs. Vulture News 52: 38. Steyn, P Hooded Vultures following wild dogs. Vulture News 53: 30. ****** 37

38 Griffon what s in a name? Peter Mundy Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe peter.mundy@nust.ac.zw Some years ago (Mundy 2002) I listed the physical characteristics of a group of five vultures which I called true griffons, and which Amadon & Bull (1988) had termed a superspecies of five, all named griffons by them. Our terminology has been criticised (e.g. Clark 2002), and in the most recent compendium (del Hoyo & Collar 2014) four of the five are named as vultures. It is not clear in the last reference why the Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis uniquely remains as a griffon. Savigny (1810) had coined the genus name of Gyps for Gyps vulgaris [= G.fulvus], which he called Le Griffon, noting that it had 14 rectrices, among other characters. This common name, however, did not catch on as a substantive noun, but rather as an adjective, i.e. Griffon Vulture, for one species, even through to the present day (del Hoyo & Collar 2014: 526). The late Leslie Brown repeatedly referred to the Gyps group as griffons, e.g. as true Griffons (Brown 1970: 60). Eventually, Amadon & Bull (1988: 310) called them all griffons, and were the first to do so. I and my friends supported that designation (Mundy et al. 1992: 410), thinking of this group also as super -vultures. Be all that as it may, the word griffon has a history, of course. In his Ornithologie, Mathurin-Jacques Brisson (1760: 462) uses Grifon as a synonym only for his seventh of nine European vultures, Le Vautour fauve [present-day Gyps fulvus or Eurasian Griffon in my terminology]. Here, he is quoting from an article in the French Royal Academy of Sciences by Mr Perrault (1734), though not naming him as such. I have attached as an Appendix to this note my translation of Perrault s article; curiously he uses Grifon in the text but Griffon underneath the two figures or 38

39 drawings. Here too, incidentally, in the second figure is an accurate drawing of the tongue with its barbs along the edges. In his plate 30 Perrault gives a large but rather poor drawing of the Griffon which Brisson has labelled as passable (fair) which it barely is. So the word grifon/griffon was published in 1734, and is perhaps the source for the opinion by Georges- Louis Leclerc (comte de Buffon) (1770: 158) that the name was given [invented?] by the Academy of Sciences. However, Perrault (1734: 209) intimated that it is an ancient Hebrew name. (The modern Israeli name for the Eurasian Griffon is nesher, and there is not today a special Hebrew word for griffon, Y. Leshem, pers. comm.). In the Holy Bible, the authorised King James version, first printed in 1611 (my edition is dated 1957), the third book of Moses, or Leviticus, gives some dietary instructions to the children of Israel. Various animals are listed as clean ( ye shall eat ) or unclean, and indeed the book goes further in calling certain fowls an abomination. Among these, in Leviticus ch.11, are the ossifrage [Bearded Vulture] (v.13), the vulture (v.14), and the gier eagle (v.18). The Revised Standard Version (1952) interprets the first and third as vulture (v.13) and carrion vulture (v.18). So, again, there seems not to be a recognition and naming of griffon in these scriptures and their translations. In English, griffon (with synonyms of griffin and gryphon) has several meanings, including a dog. Macdonald (1972) states that the word is derived from the French griffon, itself from the Latin gryphus and Greek gryps. In French, however, it has no meaning outside a dog and the griffon vulture (Back 2006). Clearly the word has been applied to a particular species and not to a type or group. On a recent visit to France I came across a little book titled the vulture (Vadrot 2002). It states on p.22 that the ancient name of griffon, which has nothing to do with griffes (= claws), is perhaps derived from the Greek griffos or hooked (= bent). Again, on p.23, the author states that the first mention of griffon, as referred to by Buffon, is found in the Chanson de Roland. This is a famous epic poem from around 1090, describing the battle of Roncevaux in 778 during Charlemagne s time, when Roland s army was annihilated. There are 4000 lines in 291 stanzas, and there in line 2544: Grifuns i ad, plus de trente millers ; in translation this becomes Griffins were there, 39

40 thirty thousand, no less (La Chanson de Roland n.d.). In summary, then, and since a thousand years ago, the word griffon (in different spellings) has been used in French to denote the vautour fauve only, and not the group as a whole. It is a useful word, and should be re-instated for the group of five (six?) species. Appendix. My translation of Mr Perrault s article. ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION OF TWO GRIFONS The description that previous Authors made of the Grifon does not fit any known animal: besides the monstrous drawing that they give it, making it have the head & wings of an Eagle, & put it onto a Lion s body, they attribute to it still a strength altogether incredible. That determines that one has sometimes given the name of Grifon to unknown Birds when they had a size & strength or some other particularity which had similarity with what one said of the Grifon. There are some connections since one hundred years of an African bird which has the name of Grifon because of its strength & size which is prodigious: because it s said that one of its feathers has been found having a length of twenty four feet, & that it lifts Oxen and Horses and carries them to its nest for its young. Preserved in the treasures of the St. Chapelle in Paris is the foot of a bird which is five feet from the tip of the claw on the large digit in front to the claw of the small digit behind. There is the appearance that the particular figure of the Grifon which portrays a four footed bird has given rise also to the interpretation that the septuagint ( septante ) [Greek translation of the Old Testament in the 3 rd century B.C.] has made of the Hebrew name of a bird, which was not permitted to be eaten according to the law of Moses, & they have named it Grifon, because at the place where it is mentioned is spoken the bats, locusts, & generally four footed animals which fly. It s possible that the bird that we are describing which is the large Aristotle s Vulture, is commonly called Grifon, because it is a very strong bird, & that Cardan has noted as very rare. Aristotle makes two species of Vultures, of which the one he calls small has almost all its plumage white, the other which is large has its plumage mixed with a lot of grey. Gesner who described a Vulture of which he had seen only the skin, makes it much larger than the Eagle, having the plumage reddish on almost all the body, & 40

41 being only marked a little with white at the top of the wings whose long feathers are black the same as those of the tail. He described its beak accurately enough in comparing it to that of the Eagle which has it longer and more hooked than his Vulture. [There then follows a long and detailed description, in which the name Grifon is no longer used]. References Amadon, D. and Bull, J Hawks and owls of the world: a distributional and taxonomic list. Proceedings Western Foundation Vertebrate Zoology 3: Back, M Le Robert & Collins dictionnaire. HarperCollins and Dictionnaires Le Robert-SEJER, Glasgow and Paris. Brisson, [M.-J.] Ornithologie ou méthode contenant la division des oiseaux. Tome 1. Bauche, Paris. Brown, L African birds of prey. Collins, London. Buffon, G.-L.L Histoire naturelle des oiseaux. Vol.1. Imprimerie royal, Paris. Clark, W.S Griffon Vulture is a species. Vulture News 46: 24. del Hoyo, J. & Collar, N.J HBW and Birdlife International Illustrated Checklist of the birds of the world. Vol.1. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. La Chanson de Roland n.d. Original test with English translation by Charles Scott Moncrief (London, 1919). Macdonald, A.M Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary. W & R Chambers, Edinburgh. Mundy, P.J When is a vulture a griffon? Vulture News 46: Mundy, P., Butchart, D., Ledger, J. & Piper, S The vultures of Africa. Acorn Books and Russel Friedman Books, Randburg and Halfway House (South Africa). Perrault, [?] Description anatomique de deux Grifons. Mémoires de l Académie royale des sciences. Tome III partie III: Savigny, J.-C Système des oiseaux de l Egypte et de la Syrie. Imprimerie Impérriale [sic], Paris. Vadrot, C.-M Le vautour. Actes Sud Junior, Arles. ****** 41

42 IUCN Species Survival Commission: Vulture Specialist Group Aim: The IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group aims to advocate and create greater awareness of the plight of vultures and coordinate effective conservation activities to their benefit. The Vulture Specialist Group will support and work closely with BirdLife International as the Red List Authority for birds, but with particular reference to the global status of Vultures. Key activities/outputs: Conservation and management: - Identify and communicate information about emerging threats to vultures globally - Promote the use of appropriate mitigation measures to address threats where possible - Facilitate the sharing of expertise and knowledge between regions where appropriate - Support CITES, at national and international level, in vulture-related issues Research and monitoring: - Conduct and promote scientific research on ecology and habitat use by vultures to support management decisions regarding the conservation of these - Promote and encourage sustained population monitoring at key sites for vultures using appropriate monitoring methods - Identify gaps in knowledge and promote applied research into such species, threats or habitats where appropriate 42

43 Dissemination and Communication: - Promote and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise with regard to vultures and their conservation - Use Vulture News as the official print journal for the Vulture Specialist Group to disseminate information about vultures and their conservation - Make available published and unpublished information about vultures on a website - Ensure that the wider public and interest groups receive regular information and updates on the conservation of vultures Partnership and Advocacy: - Work with governments, research institutions, conservation organisations and communities to develop and implement effective conservation measures - Support and promote the conservation of vultures through the International Vulture Awareness Day working with its partner organisations For more details contact either of the Vulture Specialist Group Co-chairs: Chris Bowden chris.bowden@rspb.org.uk André Botha andreb@ewt.org.za 43