Ecology of vultures in and around orcha, Madhya Pradesh.

Thirty years ago raptor populations in the Northern-Central India appeared to be the highest in any urban area, world wide. Diclofenac has been identified as the sole cause of vulture decline. But this catastrophic decline predates the introduction of diclofenac in the sub-continent. The ecological extinction of vultures is also leading to further changes in the species complement of scavengers. The present study was undertaken in and around Orcha; it describes the population characteristics, population dynamics and regulation of vulture population residing in the study area.Orcha lies in Tikamgarh district of Northern Madhya Pradesh. Population ecology plays a vital role in species conservation and management strategies. The data are based on the survey work carried out from February, 2006 to December, 2008. The study shows that the disturbances due to human activities, habitat loss and decrease in food availability present serious threats for the last vulture pairs in the studied areas. This study also emphasizes that there is a lot which needs to be explored in Orcha about vultures and their breeding sites.