The White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) is an indicator species that can reflect the ecological health of coastal areas. Populations of this species are thought to be decreasing in India and elsewhere. To help inform conservation and management strategies, we investigated the breeding ecology of White-bellied Sea-Eagles in Kerala, India. We surveyed a small breeding population of White-bellied Sea-Eagles in Kerala from 2021 to 2023 and documented a 32% decline in the number of breeding pairs over the three breeding seasons. Nests were built in eight different tree species, primarily Mangifera indica (n = 8; 36.4%) and Ficus benghalensis (n = 5; 22.7%). Nesting trees averaged 23 ± 4.6 m in height, 3.6 ± 3.3 m in girth at breast height (GBH), and 12 ± 6.6 m in canopy spread. Nests averaged 20 ± 4.4 m aboveground, with the majority (95%) facing westward toward the sea. Nest trees were mainly at low elevation (18 ± 34 masl) and relatively close to the eagles’ foraging grounds, 845 ± 1426 m from the sea and 759 ± 1292 m from rivers. White-bellied Sea-Eagles nested close to sources of anthropogenic disturbances, on average 22 ± 32 m from roads and 24 ± 31 m from human settlements. Because none of the nests that we found were built in protected areas and most (73%) were located on lands owned by either religious organizations or private landholders, conserving breeding habitat should be of the utmost priority.

© 2025 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.
2025
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