The mountain hawk-eagle (Spizaetus nipalensis orientalis) is a large forest-dwelling hawk. It is listed as an endangered species in "Threatened Wildlife of Japan-Red Data Book 2nd ed." We used multivariate analysis to estimate the distribution of its habitat in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan. We used presence/absence data from a 5-km grid, vegetation maps, and a 50m digital elevation model to construct statistical models. Most mountain hawk-eagles were observed at high elevations and on steep slopes covered by forests. Few were observed at low elevations, in shelving areas, and/or in artificially transformed areas. A statistical model using discriminant analysis successfully explained 80.4% of the distribution of presence/absence data. This result suggests that this model can predict the distribution of the habitat of the mountain hawk-eagle.
