Assessment of Suitable Habitats and Identification of Key Protection Areas for in Jianfengling, Hainan Province, China.

is a rare and endangered species endemic to Hainan, China. It has long been regarded as a subspecies of the widely distributed Grey Peacock-Pheasant (), a classification that has resulted in a paucity of targeted conservation studies and rendered efforts to protect and restore its populations and habitats exceedingly challenging. In this study, the Jianfengling section of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park was designated as the research area. We comprehensively utilized infrared camera monitoring data for and other species, alongside habitat environmental factor data obtained through multiple monitoring approaches. An ensemble species distribution model (ESDM) was employed to evaluate the habitat suitability for four ground-dwelling bird species, including , and to investigate their environmental preferences and competitive interactions during habitat selection. Subsequently, the Marxan model was applied to identify key protection areas for . The results indicate that the suitable habitat for is primarily distributed in the central, eastern, and certain southern areas of the study region, with low spatial overlap and minimal competition from the suitable habitats of the other three ground-dwelling bird species. However, due to anthropogenic disturbances and the inherently stringent habitat requirements of , its overall suitable habitat area is limited, exhibiting a concentrated distribution overall with fragmented, small patches within it. Our study recommends designating the eastern and southern regions of the study area as key protection areas for , thereby providing a robust baseline environment and policy support for the targeted protection of its habitat and the recovery of its populations.