Guild · South Dakota · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Birds Of Prey In South Dakota

16 species in this guild. As a group they are -15% since 1969.

Guild Signals

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

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Birds of prey in South Dakota is projected to fall about 29% by 2029 — from 0.53 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.38 (95% range 0.06–0.70). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±22.2%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-29%Change by 2029
0.38Projected 2029 index
0.060.7095% range
±22.2%Backtest error
19672029
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
20250.390.070.71
20260.390.070.71
20270.380.060.70
20280.380.060.70
20290.380.060.70

Member Species In South Dakota

Birds of prey species in South Dakota.
Great Horned OwlStrigidae-85%
Northern HarrierAccipitridae-49%
Eastern Screech-OwlStrigidae-1%
Burrowing OwlStrigidae+5%
Swainson's HawkAccipitridae+16%
Prairie FalconFalconidae+24%
American KestrelFalconidae+26%
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipitridae+30%
Golden EagleAccipitridae+35%
Turkey VultureCathartidae+56%
OspreyPandionidae+78%
Cooper's HawkAccipitridae+127%
Red-tailed HawkAccipitridae+206%
Short-eared OwlStrigidae+465%
Ferruginous HawkAccipitridae+616%
Bald EagleAccipitridae+664%

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