The vulture’s range extends from the northeastern United States to Peru, Central Chile and Uruguay in South America. It has no previous records of migrating to this part of the world. According to birders, the species doesn’t migrate beyond its territory and the sighting is probably a result of illegal wildlife trade.
“I got a call from Anu Mathur, a birder from the Delhi Bird Society, who spotted the black vulture in Chandu Budhera on Friday. She took photos and shared them with me. I immediately rushed to the place. This bird doesn’t migrate to India or any other nearby regions. It looks like someone got it as an exotic pet and it managed to escape from there,” said Pankaj Sharma, a birder.
The American black vulture belongs to the family Cathartidae. The species has few feathers that are generally black, gray or brown. It feeds at garbage dumps, but also eats eggs, fruit (both ripe and rotting), fish and ripe or decomposing plant material. It preys on injured newborn or incapacitated mammals. Like other vultures, it plays an important role in the ecosystem by feeding on carcasses that would otherwise become breeding grounds for disease.
Another birder, Pankaj Gupta, said more investigation is required to draw conclusions on how the vulture managed to find its way here. “It looks like the bird was brought into the country illegally for someone who is into keeping unusual birds as pets or it escaped from a private collection or a zoo in the region,” he said.
