Explorando la distribución geográfica y coberturas vegetales utilizadas por el Águila crestada Morphnus guianensis, especie amenazada, con el Fin de promover planes de conservación

Abstract

The great crested eagle, Morphnus guianensis, is a little-known raptor of the Neotropics and is considered near-threatened. It inhabits dense jungles from Mexico to Brazil, including the Amazon basin and Atlantic forests. It is a formidable size, with a striking crest and varying morphs between individuals, with females being larger than males. Its reproduction is slow, with few young and long-term care, making it vulnerable to changes in its habitat. It feeds primarily on mammals, birds, and reptiles, hunting from high perches. It prefers tropical rainforests, gallery forests, and areas with dense tree cover, where it finds shelter and food. However, deforestation, forest fragmentation, and hunting have reduced its population. Predictive models show that between 2014 and 2025, the suitability area has decreased considerably, mostly coinciding with areas where tree cover has decreased. Although some regions, such as the Amazon and the Isthmus of Panama, maintain good conditions, there are also small areas where suitability has increased, perhaps leading to improved local protection methods. Changes in vegetation cover show that dense forest remains the primary habitat; however, human pressure has brought areas of grassland and cultivated land to previously suitable areas, transforming their habitat and subjecting them to new pressures. Habitat loss is most severe in Central America and parts of the southern Amazon, while areas of persistence are concentrated in regions with low fragmentation and high ecological resilience. The study suggests that, to conserve the species, it is key to protect areas with high ecological suitability, many of which are not under legal protection. Furthermore, it recommends integrating tools such as niche modeling and geographic information systems to guide management plans. It also highlights the importance of working with communities, since conservation is often more feasible with their support and engagement. In short, the crested eagle requires large areas of well-preserved forest, and its future will depend on the ability to maintain and restore these ecosystems before human pressures further reduce them.