About the Red-headed Vulture
The red-headed vulture — also called the Asian King Vulture or Black Vulture — is India's most visually distinctive vulture, with its vivid red head, neck, and feet contrasting with jet-black plumage. Once widespread across South and Southeast Asia, it has undergone a catastrophic decline parallel to that of the white-rumped vulture, collapsing by over 91% since the 1990s for the same reason — the veterinary drug diclofenac contaminating livestock carcasses that vultures feed upon.
Unlike white-rumped vultures which form large, noisy flocks, red-headed vultures are typically found alone or in pairs — dominance display behaviour at carcasses is heightened by their imposing size and aggressive demeanour toward other vulture species. Their range in India is now primarily restricted to patches of dry forest in central and north India, with Ranthambore and the forests of Madhya Pradesh among the last reliable locations. The species is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, the highest level of legal protection in India.