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First Confirmed Indian Vulture Records Documented in Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary

Indian vulture in flight over forest in Bandhavgarh, India
Conservation · Population & status

The first confirmed records of Indian vultures (Gyps indicus) from Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas in Bihar were published in 2026. Three adult vultures were observed soaring over Vaibhargiri Hill inside the sanctuary on 15 February 2025 during a survey of the area’s bird diversity.

The importance of the record is heightened by the species’ conservation status. Indian vulture populations in India declined by more than 90% after the 1990s. One major cause was veterinary diclofenac: vultures feeding on livestock carcasses containing residues of the drug can suffer fatal kidney damage. Habitat loss and reduced food availability are also among the threats discussed by the authors.

A second observation followed on 13 March 2025 in the nearby Rajgir Zoo Safari area, where the same team documented a flock of 14 Indian vultures in flight. About eight were judged to be adults and six immature birds. The authors report no previous confirmed records of the species from Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary and state that they were not aware of other recent records from Bihar.

The sanctuary and adjoining zoo safari cover 35.84 km² and contain mixed deciduous forest, dry sal forest, open scrub, bamboo and rocky outcrops. The authors interpret the observations as a significant extension of the species’ known occurrence in Bihar and as evidence that the Rajgir landscape can provide habitat for roosting, foraging and seasonal gatherings of this critically endangered vulture. The correspondence documents presence and habitat use, but does not report breeding at Rajgir.

Sources and image credit

  1. Rameshkumar, V., Ramsundar, M., Chandrabose, K., Rajkumar, M., Khan, M., & Mandal, R. (2026). The Critically Endangered Indian Vulture Gyps indicus in Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary, Bihar, India. Indian BIRDS, 22(1), 32–32A.Primary correspondence published 9 May 2026. Three adult Indian Vultures were recorded at Vaibhargiri Hill in Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary on 15 February 2025, followed by a flock of 14 birds in the adjacent Rajgir Zoo Safari area on 13 March 2025. The authors describe these as the first confirmed records from the sanctuary and adjoining areas.

Image: Indian vulture in flight over Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh, India, 4 March 2008. Representative image; not one of the Rajgir birds. Photo: T. R. Shankar Raman / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0. · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

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