Red-Headed Vulture Sighted in Munsiyari, Uttarakhand: Key Facts

A Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, was sighted on 5 October 2026 in the Patalthod forest area near Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. It was recorded at about 2,650 metres (roughly 8,700 feet), between Balati Bend and Munsiyari town. The source report we relied on was published on 9 October 2026, four days after the sighting. The event is complete: it was a one-time observation, not an ongoing programme or a scheduled activity.

What was reported about the Munsiyari sighting

Event details

• Event date: 5 October 2026 (the source's publication date is 9 October 2026).
• Place: Patalthod forest, between Balati Bend and Munsiyari town, Pithoragarh district, in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.
• Altitude: about 2,650 m, or about 8,700 ft.
• Observers: bird watchers linked to the Munsiyari-based NGO Monal. The report names Surendra Panwar, Prakash Rana and Kavindra Panwar.
• Documentation: Panwar is reported to have photographed and video-recorded the bird.
• Identification: the report says the Pithoragarh Divisional Forest Officer identified the bird as a Red-headed Vulture.

What the evidence does not tell us

The sighting details come from a single secondary report. We did not find an official forest department statement, a checklist entry or a dated record from the observers in the material reviewed. The report does not say whether this is a first record for Uttarakhand or for Munsiyari. It also does not say how many birds were seen, whether the bird was resident or passing through, or whether any nesting was observed. Treat it as a documented single sighting, not as evidence of a breeding population or a population change.

Why the Red-headed Vulture matters

The Red-headed Vulture is also called the Asian King Vulture. It is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. Adults have a bare red head and neck and dark plumage. Like other vultures it scavenges, and by feeding on animal carcasses it helps remove animal remains from the environment.

A national vulture assessment hosted on the Wildlife Institute of India website shows how scarce the species is. The assessment covered 2023 to 2025, and its field surveys ran from February 2023 to January 2025. Its main findings on the species were:

• Active nests were found at only five sites: four in Madhya Pradesh and one in Desert National Park, Rajasthan.
• Each of those five sites had a single active nest.
• No nests were found at the species' earlier known sites. The report gives the number of earlier sites as 16 in one table and 10 in its results text, so treat that figure with caution.
• The species is solitary, territorial and nests in dense woodland, so it is hard to survey. The report says the true breeding population is probably higher than recorded.
• The report arrives at about 80 breeding adults as a conservative estimate. It adds eBird presence in 35 other protected areas and assumes one pair in each, plus the 10 adults found in field surveys. This is a modelled minimum, not a census.
• Its sightings and nests were mostly inside protected areas, which the report links to the species' dependence on well-preserved forest and relatively safe carrion.

The report does not list a Red-headed Vulture nest in Uttarakhand. The Munsiyari sighting therefore does not change those nest counts.

Threats and conservation: the exam-relevant context

Diclofenac and vulture decline

Veterinary diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) given to livestock, was a major cause of vulture deaths in South Asia. Vultures feeding on carcasses of treated animals can suffer kidney failure, and the Munsiyari report also mentions visceral gout. The assessment report notes that three Gyps vultures (White-rumped, Indian and Slender-billed) lost over 96% of their numbers in under a decade. The Red-headed Vulture is not one of those three, but it faces the same drug risk through carrion. The Munsiyari report also lists habitat loss and reduced food availability as pressures.

Policy and conservation responses

• The Munsiyari report says India banned veterinary use of diclofenac in 2006. The assessment report does not give a year but says governments across South Asia banned its manufacture and use.
• Other vulture-toxic veterinary drugs, ketoprofen and aceclofenac, were also banned, according to the assessment report. It names meloxicam as a vulture-safe alternative.
• Other measures are captive breeding at Vulture Conservation Breeding Centres with later release, population monitoring and awareness work with veterinarians, forest staff and communities.
• The assessment report says the sharp decline appears to have slowed, but there is no evidence of significant recovery in the three Gyps species it discusses.

Quick comparison of the four Critically Endangered resident vultures

The figures are from one assessment and measure breeding adults only, not total populations. The report's text is not fully consistent on some totals, such as the number of nesting sites (213 in one place and 216 in another) and the share of historical sites now unused (about 70% in one place and 72% in another). Use the table for orientation, not as exact official statistics.

Facts worth revising

• Scientific name: Sarcogyps calvus. Other name: Asian King Vulture.
• IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
• Family: Accipitridae. Habit: scavenger.
• Diclofenac is an NSAID linked to mass vulture mortality in South Asia.
• Sighting: 5 October 2026, Patalthod, Munsiyari, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, at about 2,650 m.

This note does not claim that any of these points will appear in an examination. Species status, causes of decline and conservation measures are standard themes in environment and biodiversity preparation.

FAQ

When was the Red-headed Vulture sighted in Munsiyari?

The sighting was on 5 October 2026. The source article carries a publication date of 9 October 2026.

Is the Red-headed Vulture Critically Endangered?

Yes. Both the Munsiyari report and the national vulture assessment describe it as Critically Endangered.

Does the sighting prove the species breeds in Uttarakhand?

No. The report describes a documented sighting and does not mention nesting. The national assessment recorded no Red-headed Vulture nests in Uttarakhand.