India, March 22 -- An official statement - Jatayu is the most efficient soldier of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, let's save it from extinction and keep our environment clean - is emblazoned on the cover of the "Action Plan for Vulture Conservation in India 2020-2025", authored by the Union ministry of environment, forest & climate change (MOEF & CC).

It is thus with a sense of elation that I received the news from Siswan check-dam in the end of February 2026 of the sighting of the critically-endangered red-headed vulture (RHV) along with at least two wintering, near-threatened cinereous vultures (CV). The RHV was last photographed in Siswan in the end of March 2013. Anyone who has seen CVs cannot but marvel at their 'black knight' looks and ma...