Rare cinereous vulture found in Kamphaeng Phet now under specialised care

A juvenile cinereous vulture, discovered on a road in the Lan Krabue district of Kamphaeng Phet last Sunday, is currently under the care of a team of veterinarians from the neighbouring Nakhon Sawan.

The bird, weak from its long winter migration, is being prepared for future release.

Veterinarian Pimchanok Songmongkol from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation’s (DNP) Protected Area Regional Office 12th in Nakhon Sawan confirmed the bird’s health.

The team has examined the migratory bird and found no signs of injury.

The cinereous vulture, known scientifically as Aegypius monachus, is a large bird, considered the biggest in the vulture family.

It can weigh up to 12.5 kilogrammes, have a wingspan of 3 metres, and measure around 120 centimetres in length. The rescued juvenile weighed only 7.1 kilogrammes upon discovery, reports Bangkok Post.

However, its sex remains unconfirmed due to its juvenile status.

The bird’s daily diet consists of two pork meals, totalling about 1.5 kilogrammes, to aid in muscle strengthening. Observing its behaviour, Pimchanok noted.

“The vulture is not afraid of humans. It eats well and stays in the sun for up to two hours every day. It tries to fly but can only go as high as one metre above the ground.”

The DNP has plans to relocate the vulture to Kasetsart University’s Raptor Rehabilitation Unit in the Kamphaeng Saen district of Nakhon Pathom next week.

Once the bird regains its strength, it will receive a microchip for future tracking before its release.

The cinereous vulture is recognised as a near-threatened species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with a population estimated between 16,800 and 22,800.

The appearance of this migratory vulture is a rare event in Thailand, with only about one to two cinereous vultures sighted each year.

These sightings are primarily in Chiang Mai, Phetchaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Rayong, and Chanthaburi, according to the DNP records.

The discovery of the cinereous vulture in Kamphaeng Phet, unharmed and now under the care of a dedicated veterinary team, is a noteworthy event in the efforts of the DNP.