<div>Due to their extremely rapid rates of decline, six of these species are
already regarded as globally threatened. Global estimates have not
considered the eight remaining species’ worrying national plunges, such
as those in the black kite . Despite all these, a disproportionate
amount of studies is expended on raptors’ studies in Kenya . There are
knowledge gaps regarding the interactions between raptors’ geographic
distribution and their ecological needs over time and space, which, in
order to direct conservation and management efforts, must be filled.</div><div>Raptors’ movements and feeding preferences are known to be influenced by
environmental variables, as well as the plausible links between their
distribution and environmental predictors such as precipitation,
temperature, human influence, and vegetation, which have been
demonstrated in numerous studies (e.g. . Understanding the relationships
between raptor distribution and environmental variables may aid in
determining their ideal niche. Such data would be crucial in creating
spatially explicit management and conservation measures when combined
with anthropogenic variables . To advance their spatio-temporal
management on a landscape scale, more data are needed on significant
environmental variables, niche distribution, and anthropogenic
predictors.</div><div>Accurate species occurrence determination is necessary for proper
biodiversity conservation policy decisions, including nature reserve
preselection, biologically-based invasion monitoring and the
identification of vital habitats for endangered species . Aforesaid data
is frequently arbitrarily gathered and made accessible as museum records
or through websites that collect biodiversity data, like the Global
Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) . Seeking out new presence
locations for endangered or rare species is critical because a better
understanding of their distribution may aid in management and
conservation efforts . In order to inform conservation management,
species distribution models (SDMs) are employed to deduce the ecological
requirements of species as well as predict their geographic
distribution. In a variety of applications, such as regional
biodiversity assessment in rangelands, conservation planning and
wildlife management, these models have grown in significance</div><div>The biggest dangers to raptors are habitat loss brought on by logging
and agricultural growth, persecution (including shooting, poisoning, and
trapping), electrocution and collisions with energy infrastructure,
contamination (primarily from lead, pesticides, or veterinary drugs),
and illegal harvesting for actions motivated by religious convictions .
This study estimates the distribution and ecological requirements of
five raptor species in Kenya in order to better understand their niches
and threats. It also examines the contribution of continuous remotely
sensed predictor variables to their distribution. The objectives of this
research are to; 1) identify the ecological niche, geographic
distribution, and impact of protected areas in raptor conservation in
Kenya.; 2) determine the relative importance of environmental predictors
to raptor distribution
; 3) offer recommendations for raptor habitat management and protection
in Kenya. The results of this study will improve the understanding of
raptors’ niche and the critical environmental/anthropogenic variables
influencing its distribution to inform sustainable management efforts of
its habitats.</div>