Breeding habitat preference of the Pallas's Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus in north-eastern Bangladesh

Capsule Only 3.8% of the north-eastern freshwater (Haor) wetlands of Bangladesh provide ideal suitable nesting habitat for the globally endangered Pallas's Fish Eagle.Aims To identify key nesting habitat requirements of Pallas's Fish Eagles and predict the distribution of suitable breeding habitats.Methods We used 38 active nest locations (from 2022 to 2024) and remotely sensed environmental variables in a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to identify key drivers of nesting habitat selection and predict the distribution of suitable breeding habitat.Results Suitable nesting habitats were associated with moderately tall trees in proximity to wetlands, relatively low human disturbance, and low-elevation landscapes. Only 687 km2 (3.8%) of the wetland area was identified as highly suitable habitat, indicating limited optimal nesting and foraging grounds. Most suitable habitats remain unprotected outside of the existing protected areas, except for Tanguar Haor (Ramsar site, 95.0 km2), which encompasses only 4% (28 km2) of the highly suitable habitats.Conclusion The limited extent and low protection coverage of suitable habitats highlight the need for targeted conservation actions for Pallas's Fish Eagles. Community-managed areas containing mature nesting trees, such as graveyards and temple groves, should be considered as potential area-based other effective conservation measures (OECMs) to complement existing protected areas and safeguard critical nesting habitats.