Guild · California · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Birds Of Prey In California

22 species in this guild. As a group they are -20% since 1970.

Guild Signals

No notable trend signals for birds of prey in California. See the full index history below.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Birds of prey in California is projected to fall about 13% by 2029 — from 0.76 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.66 (95% range 0.37–0.95). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±11.7%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-13%Change by 2029
0.66Projected 2029 index
0.370.9595% range
±11.7%Backtest error
19682029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected index95% low95% high
20250.660.360.95
20260.660.370.95
20270.660.370.95
20280.660.370.95
20290.660.370.95

Member Species In California

Birds of prey species in California.
Burrowing OwlStrigidae-85%
White-tailed KiteAccipitridae-81%
Northern HarrierAccipitridae-71%
American KestrelFalconidae-71%
Spotted OwlStrigidae-62%
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipitridae-57%
American Barn OwlTytonidae-45%
Golden EagleAccipitridae-44%
American GoshawkAccipitridae-37%
Northern Pygmy-OwlStrigidae-36%
Cooper's HawkAccipitridae+11%
Prairie FalconFalconidae+17%
Peregrine FalconFalconidae+17%
Western Screech-OwlStrigidae+24%
Red-tailed HawkAccipitridae+32%
Short-eared OwlStrigidae+74%
Turkey VultureCathartidae+85%
OspreyPandionidae+117%
Great Horned OwlStrigidae+193%
Red-shouldered HawkAccipitridae+521%
Bald EagleAccipitridae+895%
Swainson's HawkAccipitridae24×

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.