This non-migrant scavenging species is very rare. It inhabits dry grasslands and forests of India (mostly in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, and Assam), Nepal, Cambodia, and Laos, from the sea level up to 2,000m. It is now extinct in Malaysia, Thailand and possibly extinct in Vietnam (BirdLife International 2017).

Conservation Status:

This species is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).


According to the IUCN Red List assessment, the population of this species is declining, with the current population size ranging between 1,000 and 2,499 individuals. The threat to its persistence comes from the high exposure of the toxic NSAIDs which is being found on carcasses and these species feed on them. Other threats come from their predators such as feral dogs (BirdLife International 2001).