Bird Guide

Himalayan Vulture vs White-rumped Vulture

Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis)

Himalayan Vulture

Gyps himalayensis

Huge9.8 kgRocky

The Himalayan vulture has dark brown greater covert feathers, tail and wing quills, but a pale buff uniform upperside and paler tipped inner secondaries; its legs are covered with buffy feathers and vary in colour from greenish grey to pale brown. The underside and under-wing coverts are pale brown or buff, almost white in some individuals. The whitish down on the head of immatures changes to yellowish in adults who have a long and pale brown ruff with white streaks and long and spiky ruff feathers.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jan Reurink from Netherlands · CC BY 2.0
White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)

White-rumped Vulture

Gyps bengalensis

Huge4.4 kgGrassland

The white-rumped vulture is the smallest of the Gyps vultures, but is still a very large bird. It weighs 3.5–7.5 kg (7.7–16.5 lb), measures 75–93 cm (30–37 in) in length, and has a wingspan of 1.92–2.6 m (6.3–8.5 ft). It has an unfeathered head and neck, very broad wings, and short tail feathers. It is much smaller than the Eurasian Griffon. It has a white neck ruff. The adult's whitish back, rump, and underwing coverts contrast with the otherwise dark plumage. The body is black and the secondaries are silvery grey. The head is tinged in pink and bill is silvery with dark ceres.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kesava G. · CC0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Himalayan Vulture and White-rumped Vulture.