Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) - BirdLife species factsheet

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EN	Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus

2010 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Endangered

Justification This long-lived species qualifies as Endangered owing to a recent and extremely rapid population decline in India (presumably resulting from poisoning by the veterinary drug Diclofenac) combined with severe long-term declines in Europe (>50% over the last three generations [42 years]) and West Africa, plus ongoing declines through much of the rest of its African range.

Family/Sub-family Accipitridae

Species name author (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 55-65 cm. Wingspan 155-170 cm. Medium-large. Characteristic flight silhouette with broad, well-fingered wings and a wedge-shaped tail. Yellow face and base to the bill with a black tip. Plumage is pale grey with some buff on the head and neck. Primaries and secondaries are black showing contrast with underwing-coverts below and unique white centres above. Juveniles are largely dark brown with contrasting area of pale buff.

Population estimate	Population trend	Range estimate (breeding/resident)	Country endemic?
21,000 - 67,200	decreasing	18,700,000 km²	No

Range & population Neophron percnopterus occupies a large range with isolated resident populations in the Cape Verde and Canary Islands in the west, through Morocco and parts of West Africa. A small resident population persists in Angola and Namibia. The bulk of the resident population occurs in Ethiopia and East Africa, Arabia and the Indian Subcontinent. Migratory birds breed in southern Europe, from Spain in the west, through the Mediterranean, the Caucasus and central Asia to Pakistan, northern India and Nepal. These birds winter within the resident range, and in addition throughout the Sahel region of Africa. Global population estimates for the species are crude, but combining figures of 2,600-3,100 pairs in Europe¹⁸, <2,000 pairs in central Asia, just a few thousand pairs now in the Indian Subcontinent, perhaps 1,000 pairs in the Middle East, and perhaps <7,500 pairs in Africa gives a total of 30,000-40,000 mature individuals. The European population has declined by over 50% in the last three generations¹. In Spain, which with at least 1,300 pairs may support as much as 40% of the European breeding population, the number of territories declined by at least 25% between 1987-2000 (i.e. equating to a decline of >50% over three generations)⁶. Similar declines are reported from the Middle East², e.g. 50-75% in Israel, although in Oman the population is apparently stable³ and 1,000 birds are resident in a stable population on the island of Socotra⁴. The resident populations within Africa also appear to have declined, including those in Ethiopia and Djibouti¹⁰, and Angola and Namibia (where just 10 pairs remain)⁹. Across much of Africa residents are outnumbered by migrant European breeders¹¹. Most critically, the species has undergone a catastrophic decline (>35% per year) since 1999 in India, where numbers detected on road transects declined by 68% between 2000 and 2003⁷.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: Typically nests on ledges or in caves on low cliffs⁸, crags and rocky outcrops, but occasionally also in large trees. Forages in lowland and montane regions over open, often arid, country. Also scavenges at human settlements. Broad diet including carrion, tortoises, organic waste, insects, young vertebrates, eggs and even faeces. Usually solitary, but will congregate at feeding sites, such as rubbish tips, and forms roosts of non-breeding adults. Performs an energetic display flight with mate. Several resident island populations show genetic isolation. Northern breeders conduct long-distance intercontinental migrations.

Threats This species faces a number of threats across its range. Declines in parts of Africa are likely to have been driven by loss of wild ungulate populations and, in some areas, overgrazing by livestock¹³. Disturbance, lead poisoning (from gun shot), direct poisoning, and electrocution (by powerlines) are currently impacting upon European populations^5,12,19. Within the European Union, regulations introduced in 2002 controlling the disposal of animal carcasses have greatly reduced food availability (notably through the closure of traditional "muladares" in Spain and Portugal)^6,14,15. Antiobiotic residues present in the carcasses of intensively-farmed livestock may increase the susceptibility of nestlings to disease¹⁴. Avian pox has been reported as a cause of mortality in Bulgaria¹⁹. It appears that Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) often used for livestock, and which is fatal to Gyps spp. when ingested at livestock carcasses¹⁶, is driving the recent rapid declines in India⁷. NSAIDs are reportedly toxic to raptors, storks, cranes and owls, suggesting that vultures of other genera could be susceptible to its effects¹⁶. It seems plausible that this species previously had less exposure to the toxin owing to competitive exclusion from carcasses by Gyps spp. vultures⁷. In 2007, Diclofenac was found to be on sale at a veterinary practice in Tanzania¹⁶. In addition, it was reported that in Tanzania, a Brazilian manufacturer has been aggressively marketing the drug for veterinary purposes¹⁷ and exporting it to 15 African countries¹⁶. In Morocco at least, the species is taken for use in traditional medicine. Competition for suitable nest sites with Griffon Vulture significantly reduces breeding success¹⁹.

Conservation measures underway Occurs within a number of protected areas across its range. Monitoring programmes, supplementary feeding and campaigns against illegal use of poisons are in place for a number of national populations. The veterinary drug Diclofenac has now been banned by the Indian government. In 2007, a survey began to establish the extent of Diclofenac use for veterinary purposes in Tanzania¹⁶.

Conservation measures proposed Protect nest sites where persecution is a problem. Research the causes of current declines across the species's range. Coordinate monitoring to assess trends throughout the range. Relax the European Union animal hygiene regulations in relation to necrophagous birds. Establish supplementary feeding sites where appropriate. Raise awareness amongst pastoralists in Africa of the dangers of using Diclofenac for livestock¹⁶. Effectively reduce risks of poisoning through strict enforcement of poison-bait ban and education. Lobby for the banning of Diclofenac for veterinary purposes throughout the species's range, and support the enforcement of this ban where it has been adopted. Where applicable, establish the impact of wind turbines, and lobby for effective impact assessments to be carried out prior to their construction. Where appropriate, reduce disturbance by guarding nests.

References Ferguson-Lees et al. (2001). 1. BirdLife International (2004). 2. S. Aspinall in litt. (2005). 3. J. Eriksen in litt. (2005). 4. R. Porter in litt. (2005). 5. Donázar et al. (2002). 6. Donázar (2004). 7. Cuthbert et al. (2006). 8. Sarà and Di Vittorio (2003). 9. R. Simmons in litt. (2006). 10. G. Mulholland in litt. (2006). 11. J. M. Thiollay in litt. (2006). 12. N. Petkov in litt. (2005). 13. Mundy et al. (1992). 14. Lemus et al. (2008). 15. J. C. Atienza in litt. (2007). 16. BirdLife International news (www.birdlife.org/news) (2007). 17. C. Bowden in litt. (2007). 18. E. Tewes in litt. (2007). 19. Kurtev et al. (2008).

Further web sources of information

Detailed species account from Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status (BirdLife International 2004)

Text account compilers Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Rob Pople (BirdLife International - European Division), Joe Taylor (BirdLife International)

Contributors I Abdusalyamov, Simon Aspinall, Juan Carlos Atienza (Sociedad Española de Ornitología), Hem Sagar Baral (Bird Conservation Nepal), Clive Barlow, Boris Barov (BirdLife International - European Division), L. Belyalova, Chris Bowden (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), Mazit Buketov (Association for Conservation of Biodiversity in KZ), Sergei Bukreev (Russian Bird Conservation Union), E Bustamov, A Camina, John E. Cortes (Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Socie), Richard Cuthbert (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), N Efimenko, Jens Eriksen, S Fundukchiev, Vladimir M. Galushin (Russian Bird Conservation Union), Juan Manuel Grande, Bratislav Grubac (Institute for the Protection of Nature of Serbia), Ohad Hatzofe (Israel Nature and Parks Authority), Süreyya Isfendiyaroglu (Doga Dernegi), R Kashkarov, Todd Katzner (National Aviary), E Keuzberg-Makhina, Aleem Ahmed Khan (Ornithological Society of Pakistan), Valery Khrokov (Association for Conservation of Biodiversity in KZ), Vladimir Kolbintzev (Aksu-Zabagly Natural Reserve), Aleksey Koshkin (Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve), Anatoliy Kovshar (Institute of Zoology), E Lanovenko, Alberto Madroño (Sociedad Española de Ornitología), G Matekova, Alexander L. Mischenko (Russian Bird Conservation Union), M Mitropolskyi, O Mitropolskyi, Antonio Monteiro, Giles Mulholland, Nicky Petkov (Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds), Derek Pomeroy (Makerere University), Richard Porter (BirdLife International), Robert E. Simmons (FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town), Sergey Sklyarenko (Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity), N Soldatova, O Sopyev, Emilian Stoynov (Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna, Bulgaria), S. Subramanya (Indian Birds), Jean-Marc Thiollay, Metodija Velevski, James Wolstencroft

IUCN Red List evaluators Ian Burfield (BirdLife International - European Division), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Rob Pople (BirdLife International - European Division)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Neophron percnopterus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 30/7/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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