Vultures of the World: Essential Ecology and Conservation

Abstract

In Vultures of the World, Keith Bildstein has produced an eminently readable account of the behavior and ecology of the world’s 23 species of vultures, as well as a cogent summary of the many threats they face today. When two forerunners of this book, Wilbur and Jackson (1983) and Mundy et al. (1992) appeared, the global status of vultures was very different than it is today. On the Indian subcontinent, White-rumped (Gyps bengalensis), Slender-billed (Gyps tenuirostris), and Indian (Gyps indicus) vultures were all widespread (Grubh 1983), while in Africa, Hooded (Necrosyrtes monachus) and White-backed (Gyps africanus) vultures were both abundant (Mundy et al. 1992). Today, all 5 of these species are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Thus, at a time when globally vultures are under threat as never before, the publication of this new book is both timely and welcome. The book capably summarizes the recent scientific literature on vultures and describes the unique features of their biology in a clear and approachable fashion. Setting aside the Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis), which feeds mainly on palm fruits, vultures, of course, depend for their survival on exploiting carrion, a resource that is patchily distributed across the landscape. Solving the problems inherent in efficiently locating and exploiting such a scattered, ephemeral resource has shaped all aspects of the biology of vultures, and describing how they overcome these challenges provides the unifying narrative thread that ties the book together. As Bildstein explains, adaptations such as acute vision and (in cathartid vultures) a keen sense of smell, the use of low-cost soaring flight to minimize search costs, and the rapid transmission of information between foragers, have all been key to the success of vultures in finding carcasses efficiently enough to make a living as obligate scavengers. While describing the biology of vultures, Bildstein also does an excellent job of carefully explaining the various broader ecological and evolutionary concepts within which he frames his discussion. Consequently, the reader does not need much specialist background knowledge to follow along, so the book can be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in the natural history of these birds. Certainly, the book appears to have been designed to attract a wide audience. It is reasonably priced, comes wrapped in a tasteful dustjacket that features a striking image of an imperious Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), and at 244 pages, some 60 of which are devoted to a glossary, appendix, bibliography, and index, it is not a daunting read. The book, therefore, neatly fills a previously vacant niche in the market as an affordable book on vultures that is suitable for the general public. It would be an excellent choice for purchase by public and university libraries.