Gray Hawk
Gray Hawk has surged: up 875% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Gray Hawk
The Gray Hawk (Buteo plagiatus) 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 13 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 3 states, most concentrated in the Sierra Madre Occidental.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable Gray Hawk Trends
No notable trend signals for Gray Hawk. See the full index history below.
Gray Hawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Gray Hawk is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.01 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±36.3%, with 40% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2026 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2027 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2028 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2029 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Where the Gray Hawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording Gray Hawk, sized by most recent count.
Gray Hawk Population Trend by State
| Arizona | +653% | 1970 | 9 |
| New Mexico | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
Gray Hawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +316% | 1970 | 9 |
Gray Hawk Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 874% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.