Himalayan Vulture

Himalayan Vulture
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Gyps himalayensis

Malay Name: Hering Himalaya

Chinese Name: 高山兀鹫

Alternative Name(s): Himalayan Griffon or Himalayan Griffon Vulture

Range: Found within the higher regions of the Himalayas with juveniles having the tendency to disperse south to lower altitudes in northern India, Nepal and as far as Southeast Asia

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 115-125 cm

Identification: Juvenile when seen in flight has distinctive long, broad wings, short wedge-shaped tail, whitish streaks on brownish mantle and scapulars, broader, more prominent whitish streaks on brownish underparts and underwing coverts contrasting with blackish flight feathers and tail.

Similar looking species: Cinereous Vulture

Habitat: Open country

Behaviour/Ecology:

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2021)

Featured reports: Dec 2023, Jan 2024, Jan 2025, Feb 2025

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak week Jan 08-Jan 14
Early date 01 Dec 1989
Late date 08 Feb 2018
Recorded every year from 2019 to 2022 in the latter part of Dec and early Jan, suggesting they may be wandering to the Malay peninsula more frequently than before.
Juvenile Himalayan Vulture at Bhutan. Photo Credit: Myron Tay
Juvenile Himalayan Vulture at Changi Cove. Photo Credit: Eric Tan
Juvenile Himalayan Vulture at Nainital, India. Photo Credit: Con Foley
Himalayan Vulture at Central Business District. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Himalayan Vulture at Central Business District. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Himalayan Vulture at Hindhede Quarry. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Himalayan Vulture at Hindhede Quarry. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Juvenile Himalayan Vulture at Changi Cove. Photo Credit: Eric Tan
Juvenile Himalayan Vulture at Nainital, India. Photo Credit: Con Foley
Himalayan Vulture at Hindhede Quarry. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Himalayan Vulture at Bukit Timah. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Juvenile Himalayan Vulture at Changi Cove. Photo Credit: Eric Tan

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Himalayan Griffon)

References:

BirdLife International. (2021). Gyps himalayensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22695215A204643889.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Lim, K. S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore).

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Himalayan Vulture. Retrieved on April 29, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/himalayan-vulture.

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