Two-day survey begins to assess vulture populations in Wayanad

A two-day survey of vultures began across the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday, September 26, ahead of the upcoming Wildlife Week celebrations in Kerala. The exercise is being conducted to assess the current status and distribution of the birds in the landscape. The survey is being organised jointly by the Forest department, the Wayanad Wildlife Division, World Wide Fund for Nature-India and the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, according to a release issued by the organisers.

The participating organisations said the exercise would contribute to continuing efforts to understand and conserve vultures, which they described as ecologically important scavengers. The survey’s stated purpose is to document their presence and distribution across the sanctuary. According to the release, vultures help maintain ecosystem health by consuming animal carcasses.

This removes decaying animal matter from the landscape, supports nutrient cycling and may reduce risks linked to the spread of pathogens. The organisers identified Wayanad as an important area for vulture conservation in Kerala. The sanctuary and its surrounding landscape support significant populations of three resident species: the White-rumped Vulture, the Red-headed Vulture and the Indian Vulture.

Wayanad forms part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which provides habitat and food resources for vultures. The availability of large-mammal carcasses, especially within and around protected forest areas, offers an important food source for the birds. The region also occasionally records migratory species, including the Himalayan Griffon and the Cinereous Vulture, the organisers said.

Their presence further underlines Wayanad’s importance as part of a wider landscape used by several vulture species.