Broad-winged Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk has held roughly steady: up 9% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Broad-winged Hawk
The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a North American member of the Hawks, Eagles & Kites (Accipitridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 17.5–39.5 in long (45–100 cm) — a medium to large raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 1,448 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 37 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable Broad-winged Hawk Trends
No notable trend signals for Broad-winged Hawk. See the full index history below.
Broad-winged Hawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Broad-winged Hawk is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.09 (95% range 0.06–0.12). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±15.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.09 | 0.06 | 0.12 |
| 2026 | 0.09 | 0.06 | 0.12 |
| 2027 | 0.09 | 0.06 | 0.12 |
| 2028 | 0.09 | 0.06 | 0.12 |
| 2029 | 0.09 | 0.06 | 0.12 |
Where the Broad-winged Hawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording Broad-winged Hawk, sized by most recent count.
Broad-winged Hawk Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +1% | 1968 | 98 |
| Arkansas | +12% | 1970 | 38 |
| Connecticut | +19% | 1972 | 20 |
| Delaware | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Florida | +125% | 1970 | 32 |
| Georgia | -42% | 1970 | 68 |
| Illinois | -29% | 1974 | 13 |
| Indiana | -72% | 1969 | 16 |
| Iowa | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Kansas | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Kentucky | +19% | 1970 | 45 |
| Louisiana | +374% | 1970 | 60 |
| Maine | +134% | 1971 | 71 |
| Maryland | +75% | 1969 | 48 |
| Massachusetts | +99% | 1970 | 28 |
| Michigan | +62% | 1970 | 65 |
| Minnesota | +78% | 1969 | 46 |
| Mississippi | -60% | 1971 | 42 |
| Missouri | +262% | 1974 | 47 |
| New Hampshire | +106% | 1968 | 26 |
| New Jersey | -69% | 1968 | 29 |
| New York | +136% | 1968 | 92 |
| North Carolina | -13% | 1969 | 66 |
| North Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Ohio | +201% | 1979 | 32 |
| Oklahoma | +69% | 1969 | 28 |
| Pennsylvania | +52% | 1968 | 110 |
| Rhode Island | -22% | 1971 | 5 |
| South Carolina | -63% | 1976 | 24 |
| South Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Tennessee | +61% | 1968 | 47 |
| Texas | +23% | 1974 | 29 |
| Vermont | +216% | 1968 | 25 |
| Virginia | -23% | 1968 | 64 |
| West Virginia | -60% | 1968 | 57 |
| Wisconsin | +90% | 1968 | 62 |
| Wyoming | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
Broad-winged Hawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Prairie Potholes | +25% | 1992 | 4 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +73% | 1968 | 115 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | +45% | 1970 | 45 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +250% | 1968 | 147 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +34% | 2001 | 5 |
| Oaks and Prairies | +30% | 1969 | 19 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | +73% | 1976 | 24 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | +47% | 1970 | 60 |
| Central Hardwoods | +22% | 1968 | 120 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | +154% | 1969 | 88 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | +16% | 1971 | 24 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | +78% | 1968 | 215 |
| Appalachian Mountains | +33% | 1968 | 352 |
| Piedmont | -44% | 1968 | 117 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | +50% | 1968 | 99 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | +68% | 1996 | 8 |
Broad-winged Hawk Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 8% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.