Guild · Montana · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Birds Of Prey In Montana

19 species in this guild. As a group they are +13% since 1970.

Guild Signals

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

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Birds of prey in Montana is projected to fall about 16% by 2029 — from 0.51 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.43 (95% range 0.26–0.60). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±12.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-16%Change by 2029
0.43Projected 2029 index
0.260.6095% range
±12.3%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
20250.430.260.60
20260.430.260.60
20270.430.260.60
20280.430.260.60
20290.430.260.60

Member Species In Montana

Birds of prey species in Montana.
Cooper's HawkAccipitridae-80%
American GoshawkAccipitridae-74%
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipitridae-74%
MerlinFalconidae-47%
Prairie FalconFalconidae-42%
Northern Pygmy-OwlStrigidae-36%
Burrowing OwlStrigidae-31%
American KestrelFalconidae-30%
Great Horned OwlStrigidae-20%
Northern HarrierAccipitridae-11%
Short-eared OwlStrigidae-1%
Peregrine FalconFalconidae+7%
Golden EagleAccipitridae+12%
Turkey VultureCathartidae+105%
OspreyPandionidae+193%
Ferruginous HawkAccipitridae+238%
Red-tailed HawkAccipitridae+306%
Swainson's HawkAccipitridae+644%
Bald EagleAccipitridae+752%

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