Population Status and Nesting Activity of White-Rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis in Kotli District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

Abstract White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis colonies are expanding in some areas of their range after a catastrophic decline, yet in other areas population status and ecology remain poorly known. In the current study, we documented the first-ever monitoring of population size and nesting activity of the White-rumped Vulture using the road transect method in Kotli District, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Covering a 9.09 km road transect we found nine colonies, six of which had a total of 52 active nests (a mean of 5.8±5.6 nests per colony). The nine colonies contained a population of 191 vultures (a minimum of n=7, to a maximum of n=50 with a mean of 21.2±15 individuals per colony). Nests were on Chir Pine trees Pinus roxburghii at an average height of 20.8±1.6 meters from the ground. Most of the nests were near running water sources and roads. Vultures were found at waste from slaughterhouses, livestock carcasses, road-killed wildlife and street dogs, which appear to be their main sources of food. Forest fire could be detrimental to the species' population. Monitoring on an annual basis is needed in order to understand the population trend of the White-rumped Vultures in the area.