September 2015: Another record number of fledgling Endangered Gyps vultures at Conservation Breeding Facilities in India

one of the nine Slender-billed vultures fledged this year (2 months old).

Article contributed by Nikita V. Prakash, BNHS.

Another very good year for vulture breeding between three of the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centres in India – Pinjore, Haryana, Rajabhatkhawa, West Bengal and Rani in Assam. A record 58 nestlings have fledged this year including nine Slender-billed vulture, arguably the most endangered vulture in the world. The total fledged for Oriental white-backed vulture was 26 and for Long-billed it was 23. This is a 65% increase from last year when 35 birds had fledged during 2013-14.

The double clutching, artificial incubation and swapping of second clutch eggs with the artificially hatched first clutch nestlings proved to be very effective in increasing the number of successful hatching and fledging at Pinjore centre and helped to bolster the final number.

There are plans in place to initiate artificial incubation at Rajabhatkhawa facility in West Bengal.