Description
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This is a large vulture and is perhaps the largest and heaviest bird found in the Himalayas. Adults have a ruff that is long and pale brown with white streaks. The ruff feathers are long and spiky, the head is covered in down and the legs are feathered. The upperside is unstreaked buff, has a pale blue facial skin (dark blue in Gyps fulvus), a yellowish bill and pinkish legs. Younger birds have a pale parts to the bill. In flight the long fingers are splayed and there is a pale patagial stripe on the underwing. The wing and tail feathers are dark and contrast with the pale coverts and body. The feathers on the body have pale shaft streaks. They are similar in size to the Cinereous Vulture, which has a slightly shorter in length but large specimens can weigh more than the Himalayan Vulture. A field study estimated an average of 9 kg (20 lb) for the Himalayan Vulture, but weights can vary with conditions from 8–12 kg (18–26 lb). The wingspan of birds varies greatly depending on the method used to measure them and published measurements vary from 2.6 to 3.1 m (8.5 to 10 ft).
Read more about this topic: Himalayan Vulture
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