In a crucial effort to track one of India’s most endangered birds, forest departments from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka are joining forces for a synchronized vulture census in the Nilgiri region on March 7-8. This sprawling biosphere reserve, spanning thousands of square kilometers, stands as a vital stronghold for vultures in southern India, where populations have shown promising recovery signs.
Teams of experts will fan out across key tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, meticulously recording vulture sightings, flight paths, and nesting activities to avoid double-counting. The survey targets core forest areas within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, including Mudumalai, Satyamangalam, and Bandipur tiger reserves, among others. Equipped with binoculars, GPS devices, cameras, and standardized data sheets, each four-member team will include a trained vulture specialist.
This marks the fourth coordinated census in the region, building on last year’s encouraging results where vulture numbers climbed from 320 to 390 across 106 sites. Tamil Nadu led with 157 sightings, followed by Kerala at 125 and Karnataka at 106. Nest counts also rose, with 75 active nests identified, 54 in Mudumalai alone.
A recent breakthrough has wildlife officials buzzing: field staff in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve spotted the first-ever vulture nest in the core zone, a shift from previous buffer-area activity. Eight key sites there have been earmarked for close monitoring of breeding behaviors and population trends.
The Nilgiris plays an ecological linchpin for vultures, supporting breeding colonies of species like white-rumped, long-billed, and red-headed vultures, alongside migratory visitors such as Egyptian and Himalayan griffons. With seven of India’s nine vulture species recorded in Tamil Nadu, preserving this habitat is paramount amid ongoing threats like habitat loss and poisoning.
As teams gear up, optimism runs high. This census will not only quantify numbers but also inform conservation strategies to safeguard these scavenging sentinels of the ecosystem, ensuring their skies over southern India remain populated for generations.