Залёт снежного грифа в южную тундру Западной Сибири

Himalayan Griffon, or Himalayan Vulture, Gyps himalayensis was observed on the territory of the Yamburg gas field from the second half of May 2024 until at least the end of June 2024. The territory is located on the Taz Peninsula (southern shrub tundra of Western Siberia). The bird was seen daily near the workers’ residence, where it perched on power poles, the roof of the building, the warm pipes of the sewage station and food waste containers. Workers of the gas field fed the bird with meat. There were cases of the bird’s aggression towards crows, which the griffon successfully drove away from food scraps in the waste containers. The bird was quite active, there were no signs of weakness. The area has potential food resources in the form of domestic reindeer carcasses as there are numerous reindeer herds in the area. Interestingly, the spring of 2024 in the north of Western Siberia was very cold: according to the Taz weather station, the average air temperature in late May was –0.8°C with a minimum –9.4°C, in early June these indicators were +1.4°C and –4.6°C respectively. This is the first record of Himalayan Griffon in the subarctic zone.