Thiruvananthapuram: A coordinated survey conducted across Wayanad as part of International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) has recorded 65 vultures, including 54 white-rumped vultures and 11 red-headed ones. The findings reaffirm Wayanad’s status as a critical stronghold for these ecologically important scavengers in Keralam.The survey was part of the annual pan-India vulture count organised by WWF-India to mark IVAD 2026. Around 40 birders, researchers, students and wildlife enthusiasts participated in the exercise, which covered 10 vantage points across Wayanad.Teams conducted synchronised observations from 9am to noon, recording 243 vultures through 108 observations. To avoid duplication, the survey team analysed the time of each sighting, distance, direction of flight and movement patterns before arriving at the final count of distinct birds.Inaugurating the survey, Varun Dalia, deputy conservator of forests and wildlife warden of the Wayanad wildlife division, said vultures were an essential part of the forest ecosystem.C K Vishnudas, director of the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, highlighted the need to recognise emerging threats to vultures alongside historically known challenges.
