Annual survey records 17 active White-bellied Sea Eagle nests in Kannur and Kasaragod districts

Exam-focused facts from the 18 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The 2026 annual nest monitoring survey recorded 17 active White-bellied Sea Eagle nesting sites in Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
The survey was conducted jointly by the Malabar Awareness and Rescue Centre for Wildlife (MARC) and the Social Forestry Divisions of Kannur and Kasaragod.
Of the 17 nests, 10 are located in Kasaragod district and 7 in Kannur district.
In Kasaragod, all nests were categorised as old, while in Kannur, 4 nests were newly recorded and 3 were old.
Around 70% of the nests in Kasaragod were found within temple compounds.
For the first time, a nest was found on a telephone tower at Kattampally.
The eagles preferred large, mature trees for nesting, including Ficus religiosa (4 nests), Mangifera indica (6), Alstonia scholaris (2), and Casuarina species (3).
The White-bellied Sea Eagle breeds between January and March and reuses the same nest each year after renovation.
In Kerala, the species is known to nest only in Kannur and Kasaragod districts.