|
|
Neophron percnopterus
– Endangered
Taxonomy
|
Kingdom:
|
ANIMALIA
|
|
Phylum:
|
CHORDATA
|
|
Class:
|
AVES
|
|
Order:
|
FALCONIFORMES
|
|
Family:
|
ACCIPITRIDAE
|
|
Scientific Name:
|
Neophron percnopterus
|
|
Species Authority:
|
(Linnaeus, 1758)
|
|
Common Name/s:
|
EGYPTIAN VULTURE (Eng)
|
Assessment Information
|
Red List Category & Criteria:
|
EN A2abcd+3bcd+4abcd ver 3.1 (2001)
|
|
Year Assessed:
|
2007
|
|
Assessor/s:
|
BirdLife International
|
|
Evaluator/s:
|
Bird, J., Butchart, S., Crosby, M. (BirdLife International Red List Authority); Burfield, I. (BirdLife International - European Division Office) & Ndang'ang'a, P.K. (BirdLife International - Africa)
|
|
Justification:
|
This long-lived species has been uplisted to Endangered following a very 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) and West Africa, plus ongoing declines through much of the rest of its African range, owing to a variety of threats.
|
|
History:
|
| 1988 | - | Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004) |
| 1994 | - | Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004) |
| 2000 | - | Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000) |
| 2004 | - | Least Concern (BirdLife International 2004) |
|
Geographic Range
|
Range Description:
|
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 3,500 to 5,600 pairs in Europe1, <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 to 42,000 mature individuals. The European population has declined by over 50% in the last three generations1. Iberia supports approximately 50% of the European population with an estimated 1,400 individuals6: a decline of >50% in the last three generations. 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 in India (>35% per year) since 1999 and numbers detected on road transects declined by 68% between 2000 and 20037.
|
|
Range Map:
|
 (click for detailed map)
|
|
Countries:
|
Native:
Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Benin; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Cape Verde; Chad; China; Croatia; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; France; Gambia; Georgia; Ghana; Gibraltar; Greece; Guinea; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lebanon; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova, Republic of; Montenegro; Morocco; Namibia; Nepal; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Western Sahara; Yemen; Zimbabwe
Vagrant:
Austria; Bangladesh; Belgium; Botswana; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; Hungary; Lesotho; Mongolia; Mozambique; Myanmar; Norway; Poland; Qatar; Slovakia; Sri Lanka; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Sweden; Switzerland; Togo; United Kingdom
|
Population
|
Population Trend:
|
|
Habitat and Ecology
|
Habitat and Ecology:
|
Typically nests on low cliffs8 and rocky outcrops. Forages in lowland and montane regions over open often arid country. Also scavenges at human settlements. Broad diet including carrion, organic waste, insects, young vertebrates and even eggs. Usually solitary but will congregate at feeding sites e.g. rubbish tips. Performs an energetic display flight with mate. Several resident island populations show genetic isolation. Northern breeders conduct long distance intercontinental migrations.
|
|
System:
|
Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine
|
|
List of Habitats:
|
| 2.1 | Savanna - Dry |
| 3.5 | Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry |
| 3.8 | Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation |
| 4.4 | Grassland - Temperate |
| 6 | Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) |
|
Threats
|
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 overgrazing in some areas by livestock13. Disturbance, lead poisoning (from gun-shot) and collision with powerlines are currently impacting upon European populations5,12. In India, it appears that the veterinary drug Diclofenac is driving the recent rapid declines7. It seems plausible that this species previously had less exposure to the toxin owing to competitive exclusive from carcasses by Gyps spp. vultures7. In Morocco at least, it is taken for use in traditional medicine.
|
|
List of Threats:
|
| 1.1.1.3 | Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Crops - Agro-industry farming (ongoing) |
| 1.4.9 | Habitat Loss/Degradation - Infrastructure development - Other (ongoing) |
| 3.5.1 | Harvesting (hunting/gathering) - Cultural/scientific/leisure activities - Subsistence use/local trade (ongoing) |
| 4.1.2.3 | Accidental mortality - Bycatch - Terrestrial - Poisoning (ongoing) |
| 4.2.1 | Accidental mortality - Collision - Pylon and building collision (ongoing) |
| 5.2 | Persecution - Other (ongoing) |
| 8.3 | Changes in native species dynamics - Prey/food base (ongoing) |
| 10.1 | Human disturbance - Recreation/tourism (ongoing) |
|
Conservation Actions
|
Conservation Actions:
|
Conservation measures underway:
Occurs within a number of protected areas across its range. Monitoring programs are in place for a number of national populations. The veterinary drug Diclofenac has now been banned by the Indian government.
Conservation measures proposed:
Protect nest sites where persecution is a problem. Research the causes of current declines across the species' range. Establish supplementary feeding sites where appropriate. Lobby for the banning of Diclofenac for veterinary purposes throughout the species' range, and support the enforcement of this ban where it has been adopted. Monitor population trends throughout the range. Where applicable, establish the impact of wind turbines, and lobby for effective impact assessments to be carried out prior to their construction.
|
|
List of Conservation Actions:
|
| 1.2.1.2 | Policy-based actions - Legislation - Development - National level (in place, needed) |
| 1.2.2.1 | Policy-based actions - Legislation - Implementation - International level (in place, needed) |
| 1.2.2.2 | Policy-based actions - Legislation - Implementation - National level (in place, needed) |
| 3.5 | Research actions - Threats (in place, needed) |
| 3.9 | Research actions - Trends/Monitoring (in place, needed) |
| 4.1 | Habitat and site-based actions - Maintenance/Conservation (in place, needed) |
| 5.4 | Species-based actions - Recovery management (in place, needed) |
|
Bibliography
|
Bibliography:
|
Bird Reference Citations. The numbers inserted in the text accounts above (usually in bold) refer to references. For further details on these references, click on the BirdLife International link above to go to the specific species account on the BirdLife web site. In some cases, particularly in the taxonomic notes, the references are cited using the author names. Details for these can be found on the BirdLife International web site at the following two places:
For References from A–L.
For References from M–Z. BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, U.K. BirdLife International. 2004 Threatened Birds of the World 2004. CD-ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.
|
|
|
