The annual Vulture census provides information on the minimum populations of the three target vulture species in Cambodia. This information is vital for conservation planners across the species' range.
It provides accurate information on the vulture populations, as regular monthly vulture restaurants do not usually take place simultaneously and so individuals may often be counted more than once at successive restaurants. By contrast, the census ensures that each bird is counted only once, and data is also collected on variables such as age and sex classes. This will permit us to assess both the health of the population structure by counting the proportion of young birds in the population; a relatively high number of young birds indicates good breeding success and that young birds are being recruited into the population.