Drivers of Raptor Community Structure in India: An Integrated Functional and Spatial Approach

ABSTRACT Raptors, including birds of prey and owls, are apex or mesopredators that serve as vital indicators of ecosystem health. Despite their ecological importance, studies on raptor communities in tropical South Asia are scarce. This study investigates how habitat characteristics, functional traits, and dietary interactions affect raptor community structure across diverse landscapes within India. Field surveys were conducted at 445 points across seven localities, using standardized point counts within buffers of species‐specific home‐range sizes. Results showed that areas with increased forest height and proportion of water bodies were preferred by Brahminy kite, Lesser fish eagle, and Black‐shouldered kite. Areas with increased NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) were preferred by Spotted owlet. Deciduous broadleaf forests were often preferred by several species (e.g., Common buzzard, Eurasian kestrel and Short‐toed snake eagle). Areas with increased proportion of croplands were preferred by Montagu's harrier and Black kite. The last group was clearly associated with human population (e.g., Changeable hawk eagle and Black eagle). Functional traits such as wing length, beak depth, and tarsus length were strongly linked to habitat use and foraging strategies. Community‐weighted trait patterns revealed clear ecological separation among raptors across forested, wetland, and urban habitats. High dietary overlap was observed among generalist species, but spatial segregation reduced potential competition due to niche partitioning. Species with specialized diets showed minimal diet overlap, occupying distinct ecological niches. Strong correlations between dietary overlap and spatial separation were found in species‐rich sites. Our findings underscore the importance of habitat heterogeneity, morphological adaptation, and spatial mechanisms in sustaining raptor diversity.