An endangered Egyptian vulture has been sighted near the Indian capital recently, local press reported on Monday.
Vultures had become extinct in and around Delhi over the past couple of decades but are making a comeback, said local daily The Times of India.
"This year, there have been three sightings of the primary or nominate species of the endangered Egyptian vulture, a migratory bird for which there are no prior records of sightings near the city," it said.
The primary reason attributed to their return is the easy availability of animal carcasses in the area.
"The largest flock of birds seen this year has been at Bhatti Mines where a couple of roads divide the forest between Haryana and Delhi. In the absence of a corridor, animals using the road to cross from one side to the other are frequently hit by cars, providing ready food for the birds," said the report.
The Neophron percnopterus, or the nominate species of the Egyptian vulture with a dark grey bill, breeds in the temperate regions and migrates to the south each year.
In March this year, it was spotted in Dighal in Haryana, followed by two sightings in September, one of a single bird in Ghazipur and a flock of over 20 at Bhatti Mines, said the report.