Hi all
This link provides some interesting stuff about the vultures, diclofenac and excarnation.
http://www.rense.com/general38/vulture.htm
For what it's worth, the Parsees could never have been the main source of food for the vultures except, perhaps, for small populations in cities like Bombay (which contains about half of the wold's Parsees, jheem's estimate of their total numbers being about right, as far as I know).
Have just returned from a few weeks in Bombay and recall that I didn't see any vultures there (Gyps bengalensis, as I recall). The Black Kite (or Pariah Kite, Milvus migrans) seemed as ubiquitous as ever. They too are scavengers, though, as the link indicates, they aren't capable of breaking through tough animal hide.
Renal failure in vultures, eh? Who would have thought it. I shall miss the sight of them crowding roadside trees near the start of a town, presumable waiting for road-kill.
White-backed vulture, RIP.
cheer
the sunshine warrior
