The Himalayan griffon vulture was spotted in photos and videos taken by the staff of Altyn-Emel national park located in Jetysu Region, QazMonitor reports citing the reserve’s Instagram page.
The bird included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan was spotted in the park located in the Ulken Kalkan mountains on the right bank of the Ili River.
The Himalayan griffon is the largest bird of prey in the fauna of Kazakhstan. It feeds on carrion, mainly ungulates. It has a wingspan of up to three meters and weighs 8-10 kilograms. The bird inhabits the mountains at heights of 1700-3100 meters. It nests singly or in small groups on rocks. In Kazakhstan, the bird can be found in the highlands of the Jungar Alatau, the Northern and Central Tien Shan Mountains, and a number of other places.
This red-book griffon is an understudied species. Any reliable information about these birds is of value to scientists. Especially important is the identification of nesting places.
The only known Himalayan griffon colony in Kazakhstan, found in 1989 in the Trans-Ili Alatau, was located in the niches of a huge, almost steep rock 500 meters high, at an absolute height of over 3000 meters above sea level.