Vulture Restaurants in Raigad

On Raigad's 'vulture restaurants' from my column with Roundglass Sustain. Know more about this vulture conservation initiative in this video by Scroll.

Critically Endangered Birds of India

Did you know that 15 of the 1300+ bird species found in India are critically endangered? And among these, two are already presumed extinct? Here is a map that shows you where these fifteen occur or have been spotted in the past- the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, the Great Indian Bustard, the White-bellied Heron, the Pink-headed Duck, the Baer's Pochard, the Jerdon's Courser, the Forest Owlet, the Sociable Lapwing; the White-backed, Red-headed, Long-billed and Slender-billed Vultures; the Bugun Liocichla, the Bengal Florican and the Himalayan Quail. If you're an ornithologist on a re-discovery mission, my best wishes to you for finding the Pink-headed Duck and the Himalayan Quail!

I have only been able to spot 7 of these 15 species so far. How about you?

The map and the artwork are available as posters in the following sizes-
A1 poster (594 x 841mm)- Rs. 1800 each
A2 poster(419 x 594mm)- Rs. 1200 each   A3 poster- Rs. 500 for the first copy, Rs. 200 for the second copy onwards

Fridge Magnets (65 x 65 mm, Printed in sets of 4)- Any 4 birds for Rs. 1200

Coasters (3.5" x 3.5", Printed in sets of 6)- Any 6 birds for Rs. 800

Coffee Mug (Compilation)- Rs. 850

Personal Diary (Hard Cover, A5, 150 pages)- Rs. 800

The orders can be placed by e-mailing me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com. For orders outside of India, you can purchase a whole range of goodies including t-shirts, laptop skins, bags and more from my Redbubble store.

Vultures of India- Caricatures

Let's get to know the nine species of Indian vultures today on International Vulture Awareness Day. Usually considered repulsive and filthy by the layman, vultures are an object of the admiration of every bird lover and biologist, who knows of their indispensable role in nature. Once highly numerous, vulture populations in India took a steep, drastic plunge owing to the Diclofenac debacle of the 90s, endangering several species. 

Meet nine of India's majestic-looking janitors!

The Red-headed Vulture

A rather dandy-looking Vulture, the King/Red-headed Vulture is the kind of vulture that the ladies would eye at a vulture party. It is usually very dominant at carcasses, which is how it gets its title. The red head and lappets give it its characteristic regal appearance. The species is critically endangered.

The Egyptian Vulture

Thought vultures were just shabby-looking opportunists? Think again. The Egyptian Vulture has the remarkable ability to use tools- pebbles for cracking eggs open and twigs to roll up wool to be used for its nest! The rooster-like appearance gives it the nickname 'Pharaoh's Chicken'. Egyptian Vultures are endangered today.

The White-backed Vulture

Once our most numerous raptor, the White-backed or the White-rumped Vulture along with the Long-billed has been the worst victim of Diclofenac. The white ruff and rump define this raptor. White-backed Vultures are critically endangered today.

The Long-billed Vulture

The Long-billed or simply the Indian Vulture is a resident of rocky cliffs and hills of Peninsular India. Once numerous, it fell prey to Diclofenac and is now listed as 'critically endangered'.

The Slender-billed Vulture

The Slender-billed Vulture is a resident of North-eastern India. Its noteworthy anatomy reminds us of evolution's constant masterpieces- an exaggeratedly narrow head and bill to facilitate better access to carcasses. Slender-billed Vultures were considered a sub-species of the Long-billed earlier but have now been split. The species is critically endangered.

The Himalayan Griffon

The Himalayan Griffon (along with the Cinereous Vulture) has the distinction of being the largest among Old World Vultures. Watching this mighty flying carpet soar along the Himalayan horizon is an enchanting sight for bird-watchers. Dead domestic yaks are the Himalayan Griffon's prime source of food. The species is near-threatened.

The Eurasian Griffon

The Eurasian Griffon lives in cliffs and crags in mountains and prefers open country. The pale head is a useful distinguishing feature. Griffons rely on carcasses of mountain ungulates and cattle for survival.

The Lammergeier

The Lammergeier or the Bearded Vulture is famous as the bone-breaker. Long before Newton formulated gravity, these physics wizards have been applying equations of their own to carry out the task of bone-breaking! The vulture feeds primarily on marrow from the bones of carcasses of large animals such as yak. Carrying the bone to the right height, the vulture drops it to a rocky surface to break it open. This skill takes several years to master! The species is classified as 'Near-threatened' today.

The Cinereous Vulture

The huge cloak-like plumage of the Cinereous Vulture gives it the nickname 'Monk Vulture'. It is one of the Old World's largest vultures along with the Himalayan Griffon. It is a winter migrant to North-western India. The species is near-threatened.

The compilation is available worldwide as prints and a wide range of merchandise from my online store here.

Orders within India can also be placed by e-mailing me the orders for the following products-

A2 Posters (loose)- Rs. 1200 each
Mounted Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 2000

Loose Posters (A3- Individual species and compilation)- Rs. 400 for the first copy and Rs. 100 for the second copy onwards

Fridge Magnets (65 x 65 mm, Printed in sets of 4)- Any 4 vulture caricatures for Rs. 1200

Coasters (3.5" x 3.5", Printed in sets of 6)- Any 6 vulture caricatures for Rs. 800

Coffee Mug (Compilations)- Rs. 850

Personal Diary (Hard Cover, A5, 150 pages) Compilation/ Individual species- Rs. 800

T-shirts (White cotton, roundneck; sizes- S,M,L,XL)- Any raptor- Rs. 1300 each

Vulture Awareness Day

I know I'm a little late for my post on Vulture Awareness Day which was on 7th September, but I hope the cartoon makes up for it! Did you know that the vulture's bald head has a purpose? It helps keep the head clean while feeding on rotting carcasses, the debris from which may otherwise stick to a feathered surface. With unique adaptations such as these, these janitors of nature are truly built for the job!

This work by Rohan Chakravarty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Vulture table manners pre and post diclofenac

In the last two decades, there has been almost a 90% decline in the vulture populations of the sub continent. Several species that were once abundant such as the Gyps vultures are now nearing extinction. The culprit for this has been identified as Diclofenac Sodium, an anti-inflammatory drug that is used to treat ailments in cattle. When vultures consume carcasses of cattle treated with diclofenac, it causes poisoning, gout, kidney failure and death. Meloxicam has been made available as an alternative after the banning of diclofenac, but since the drug is expensive, diclofenac is still being used illegally.

Here's another one on the Diclofenac debacle.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Desperate Measures-2

A vulture using a lab rat to check if the carcass contains diclofenac :)

Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat cattle (also used as NSAID for humans as Diclofenac sodium). This drug has been responsible for mass deaths of Gyps vultures throughout south Asia. Vultures that feed on cattle carcasses containing Diclofenac (also Ketoprofen) suffer from gout and subsequent kidney failure. From 1993 to 2003, Diclofenace wiped out vulture populations by almost 99 percent, endangering several species that were earlier our most common vultures such as the White-backed and the Long-billed Vultures. Veterinary Diclofenac is now banned, and an alternative to it, Meloxicam has been made available, but Diclofenac is still being used illegally as it is cheaper than its substitute, and the threat to our vultures' existence still persists.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.