Soar and scavenge
Experience the untamed world of Jorbeed!
Soar and scavenge
Experience the untamed world of Jorbeed!
Vultures are nature's cleanup crew, known for their spectacular flight, keen eyesight, and strong stomachs. It’s a delight to watch them soar effortlessly over the snow-capped mountains and the azure skies of the Himalayas, disappearing into the distance. Today, however, we're not exploring Himalayan scenery, but a surreal landscape, a vulture haven like no other.
"The Habitat" Open air carcass dump turned sanctuary
Overflowing with vultures, eagles, starlings, and feral dogs. Sadly lots of waste.
Not hundreds, but thousands and thousands of them!
Our local guide shared a fascinating story/fact. According to him, the king of Bikaner once enforced strict rules for skinning dead animals. He designated a specific area for the task, and naturally, the carcasses began attracting vultures and other scavengers. Back in those days, even Indian Vultures and the majestic King Vulture could be seen here. Long after the kings and their kingdoms faded into history, the government chose this very spot to establish a vulture conservation center. A sign in Hindi just before the turn to the site reads, fittingly, “Bhojanshala”, a dining hall.
As birders, we’re constantly drawn to mesmerizing birding hotspots, the misty Northeast, the majestic Himalayas, the lush South, the coasts, the deserts, wetlands, and islands. Even in our own cities, we find joy in watching backyard birds and making quick pilgrimages to familiar urban hotspots for a dose of avian therapy.
But this place is truly one of a kind. It feels eerie-spooky, even. Carcasses of cows, camels, and other animals are strewn across the area. Stray dogs with their litters roam between the remains. Garbage, plastic that arrives with each dumped load. And then there’s the overpowering stench of decomposing carcasses. This place is certainly not for everyone.
A little Wikipedia gyan teaches me that, a group of vultures in flight is called a kettle, while those resting on the ground or in trees are known as a committee. And when they’re feeding, it’s called a wake. That's exactly everything what this hotspot is all about
On the brighter side, you’ll see vultures everywhere on the ground, in the sky, feeding on carcasses, perched on treetops and utility poles, absolutely everywhere. So much so, that even eBird questions your count when you try to submit it.
Egyptian Vultures were by far the most abundant here, also known as the white scavenger or pharaoh’s chicken (love that name!). I’d only ever seen a couple before, near the Chambal River, hanging out with some Indian Skimmers.
But at Jorbeed, they were everywhere. It was amazing to watch them up close and notice their behaviors I’d never seen before. Sharing a few of my favorite shots, the kind of moments you don’t often find floating around online.
A playful juvenile, they are dirty brown with bare gray faces.
Juvenile again, this time on a unskinned carcass.
The unskinned carcasses tell a different story, one of slow decay rather than becoming a proper meal for the vultures.
I was told that without the King Vulture, which has the strength to tear through thick skin, these remains aren't of much use.
The other vultures can only feed on the softer, exposed flesh.
"Pharaoh's Chicken"—maybe because it sits like a chicken?
Nah, it’s actually because in ancient Egypt, the Egyptian Vulture was considered sacred and protected by the pharaohs.
One with a yellow skin projection on the breast. This projection could indicate to the other present vultures that this one is satisfied.
The full and inflated jabot draws aside the feathers, making appear a ball of naked skin
(info ref: https://www.oiseaux-birds.com/article-egyptian-vulture.html)
“A family that eats together stays together”
Waterholes are the one place where you’re likely to spot nearly every species in the area—just at different times throughout the day.
See the "White Tip" instead of the black one!
Subspecies found in Nepal & India (Neophron percnopterus ginginianus)
Caught "red" beaked
Stay focused and watch the Egyptian Vulture lose its balance!
Bet you didn’t catch the Laggar Falcon sneaking in—prove me wrong!
These gulpers gather in large numbers, forming committees on treetops, silhouetted against the sky, finishing off carrion, resting like sitting ducks, and striking their iconic, horaltic poses.
That's how a griffon morning looks like. Committee on the tree top!
Whitish head and neck, pale brown body, and contrasting dark flight feathers.
The air filled suddenly with a mouthwatering aroma of the uncooked meal.
Horaltic pose
Spreading their wings to bask in the sun helps vultures regulate their body temperature, dry their feathers, and, of course, the sunlight helps kill parasites.
COMMITTEE
Not sure what they discuss or decide. Do you know?
A wake of vultures hosting a no-reservations lunch on a cow carcass.
Looks like everyone is invited, and it’s getting very messy!
What do you name this? Help me title this picture.
I love this one, but can't find right words to express.
These very few in numbers. On my birding trips to Himachal, it had become a bit of a ritual to count them as they roared through the sky, sometimes we spotted dozens in a single day. They look absolutely magnificent in flight.
I’ve captured so many different flight poses that I could easily write a whole post just about Himalayan Griffons soaring. (Did it sound like a little teaser for the next article!)
But back to Jorbeed. Here, I got to see these majestic birds really up close. This is one shot I liked.
Griffon Brothers!
Eurasian griffon - Himalayan griffon
And then comes the largest of them all. The shy, highly sensitive Cinereous Vulture.
With a massive wingspan and jet-black plumage, they look absolutely royal in flight.
They’re the Amitabh Bachchan in this plot, commanding the entire frame, stealing the show. When they’re in frame, no one else even gets noticed.
Sharp and Keen, ready to charge over the carcass
No one matters
I was awestuck to see this majestic wing span, it is literally covering the wake, casting its shadow over the complete scene!
Imagine what happens when it lands!
That how they charge in!
When they were not near carcass I observed they seem to be shy or distant, but at this scene they were really aggressive.
Also referred to as "monk vulture",
The bald head and ruff of neck feathers like a monk's cowl. Unlike the calm poise of monks, this pose shows pure aggressio, asserting dominance over others during the feeding frenzy on the carcass.
Monk or a bouncer? Less of “inner peace,” more of “back off, it’s my carcass.”
One of the largest and the heaviest raptors
I must say, that was a easy one to click in flight!
This deadly ecosystem full of vulture is a wintering home to the Vulnerable Yellow-eyed Pigeon. They breed in western Central Asia, small part of the population migrates to Jorbeed in the winter.
What do you see?
The birder "Arjun" in Me: "The Yellow Eye"
Yellow-eyed Pigeon (Vulnerable)
Literally, to find the ones with yellow eye, eliminating the flock of rock pigeons on a hazy day demands next level focus and sharp binoculars.
The place draws in a large number of eagles, countless rosy starlings, flocks of house sparrows, doves, and crows and, of course, the ever-present fierce stray dogs and wandering cattle.
When in Rome...Oh Sorry! When in Jorbeed do what Vultures do! Steppe knows the customs.
I’ve seen Steppe Eagles in places like Bhigwan, Uttarakhand, and Himachal, often gathered in large numbers near carcass dumps and slaughterhouse waste. Their scavenging behavior becomes much more pronounced in their wintering grounds.
Steppe(s) at every step!
Stepee(ing) below the Imperial Shit!
Steppe and Imperial Eagle
Greater Spotted Eagle
Who says eagles are not cute!
Long-legged Buzzard
Rosy Starling
Rosy Starlings were everywhere—filling the sky in swirling flocks and crowding into thorny trees, especially the ones left alone by the perched vultures.
In smaller numbers, I spotted Red-naped Ibis, Red-wattled Lapwings, Drongos, Eurasian Hoopoes, Eurasian Starlings, Lesser Whitethroats, Sandpipers, and Black-winged Stilts. There was even the occasional wild boar wandering through.
What really surprised me was seeing some of these birds—like the Red-naped Ibis, Eurasian Hoopoe, and Lapwing—scavenging near the carcasses. The ibis, in particular, looked almost like it was mimicking the vultures with that long, curved beak of its. Quite a sight!
No birding trip is complete without a few surprises, good or bad, we take them in stride.
This time, it was a pleasant one: right in the middle of all the chaos, a White Stork appeared.
Graceful and unexpected, it even took its little share at the scavenging table.
White Stork
Unapologetically real, Jorbeed presents a brutal theatre of life and death. It’s not just about vultures, it’s about witnessing the striking beauty of life in decay. Wild, raw, and unforgettable.
Saying goodbye to Jorbeed—with silhouettes of vultures and eagles against a setting sun.
A perfect end to this unforgettable day.
Date: 28-29 Dec (extenstion to DNP Birding trip)
Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/389629?welcome=true
Guide: Chandramouli Ganguly
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