Antibiotic residues that may be present in carcasses of medicated livestock could pass to and greatly reduce scavenger wildlife populations. We surveyed residues of the quinolones enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin and other antibiotics (amoxicillin and oxytetracycline) in nestling griffon Gyps fulvus, cinereous Aegypius monachus and Egyptian Neophron percnopterus vultures in central...

by human activity is easily understood, though difficult to halt: the spectacular decline in once-common species that ranged over vast areas of diverse habitats proved initially a much more difficult problem to understand. An example of this is the extraordinary reduction in numbers of three Asian vultures — the Oriental white-backed (Gyps bengalensis), long-billed (Gyps indicus) and slender-bi...

Genetic analysis of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) viruses from poultry and hooded vultures in Burkina Faso shows that these viruses belong to 1 of 3 sublineages initially found in Nigeria and later in other African countries. Hooded vultures could potentially be vectors or sentinels of influenza subtype H5N1, as are cats and swans elsewhere.

background; feather waste is generated in large amounts as a by-product of commercial poultry processing. the main component of feather is keratin. the main purpose of this study was to identify bacillus spp. (the keratinolytic bacteria) that are able to degrade the feather for producing keratin. methods; bacillus spp. were isolated from the waste of poultries located in miyaneh city. the bacte...

Populations of oriental white-backed vultures (Gyps bengalensis) in south Asia have declined over 95% since the mid-1990s due to feeding on livestock carcasses that had been treated with diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical that is fatal to Gyps vultures. To prevent extinction, captive breeding efforts have been initiated; however, given the overall decline, it is not known to what e...

Soaring raptors can fly at high altitudes of up to 9000 m. The behavioural adjustments to high-altitude flights are largely unknown. We studied thermalling flights of Himalayan vultures (Gyps himalayensis) from 50 to 6500 m above sea level, a twofold range of air densities. To create the necessary lift to support the same weight and maintain soaring flight in thin air birds might modify lift co...

Similarities between New World and Old World vultures have been interpreted to reflect a close relationship and to suggest the inclusion of both in Accipitridae (Falconiformes). However, deeper analyses indicated that the placement of the New World vultures (cathartids) in this Order is uncertain. Chromosome analysis has shown that cathartids retained a karyotype similar to the putative avian a...

Gradual decrease in reproductive and demographic indicators of black vultures in Azerbaijan territory has been observed during past several years. To study the reasons we researched the limiting factors that negatively affect the population of black vultures in Turyanchay National Reserve, one of their main settlements and the neighboring areas. It was revealed that shrinkage of food supply is ...

Veterinary treatment of livestock with diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has caused catastrophic declines of Gyps vultures in Asia. This has highlighted a lack of knowledge on the potential impacts of NSAIDs on scavenging birds. Surveys of veterinarians and zoos document the outcomes of the treatment of over 870 scavenging birds from 79 species. As well as diclofenac, ...

South Africa is home to 9 vulture species, of which 7 are endangered. While the cause of the population declines remains largely speculative, a vast amount of effort has been dedicated towards the protection of populations by ensuring sustainable and safe food sources for the various colonies. Limited focus was placed in the past on efforts related to the rescue and/or rehabilitation (R&R) of i...