Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Red-shouldered Hawk

Accipitridae Birds of preyButeo lineatus

Red-shouldered Hawk has surged: up 255% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+255%Since 1968

1,985Routes

58Years Surveyed

About the Red-shouldered Hawk

The Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 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 1,985 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 38 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
Family: Accipitridae · Birds of prey

Notable Red-shouldered Hawk Trends

long arc increasecomputed index

Red-shouldered Hawk has surged in surveyed states: up 255% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Red-shouldered Hawk Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Red-shouldered Hawk is projected to fall about 14% by 2029 — from 0.89 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.77 (95% range 0.62–0.91). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.9%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-14%Change by 2029

0.77Projected 2029 index

0.62–0.9195% range

±23.9%Backtest error

Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.

Year	Projected index	95% low	95% high
2025	0.72	0.57	0.87
2026	0.73	0.59	0.88
2027	0.74	0.60	0.89
2028	0.76	0.61	0.90
2029	0.77	0.62	0.91

Where the Red-shouldered Hawk Is Detected

BBS routes recording Red-shouldered Hawk, sized by most recent count.

Red-shouldered Hawk Population Trend by State

Red-shouldered Hawk population trend by state.

Alabama	+723%	1968	103
Arkansas	+476%	1969	58
California	+521%	1970	129
Connecticut	16×	1976	19
Delaware	+776%	1974	14
Florida	+92%	1968	124
Georgia	+876%	1968	110
Illinois	21×	1969	51
Indiana	+436%	1968	44
Iowa	insufficient data	n/a	3
Kansas	+744%	1974	20
Kentucky	+867%	1968	58
Louisiana	+326%	1969	86
Maine	-12%	1976	20
Maryland	13×	1968	69
Massachusetts	+388%	1969	21
Michigan	+314%	1972	51
Minnesota	-70%	1975	17
Mississippi	26×	1968	69
Missouri	25×	1977	77
Nebraska	insufficient data	n/a	1
New Hampshire	+13%	1968	21
New Jersey	+512%	1977	17
New York	-15%	1968	74
North Carolina	17×	1968	101
Ohio	13×	1968	53
Oklahoma	+509%	1969	43
Oregon	13×	2000	14
Pennsylvania	+344%	1968	92
Rhode Island	+69%	1986	5
South Carolina	+147%	1968	49
Tennessee	31×	1968	48
Texas	+137%	1969	130
Vermont	+81%	1970	15
Virginia	13×	1969	75
Washington	insufficient data	n/a	2
West Virginia	+364%	1968	59
Wisconsin	+16%	1968	43

Red-shouldered Hawk Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Red-shouldered Hawk population trend by Bird Conservation Region.

Northern Pacific Rainforest	+449%	1974	41
Boreal Hardwood Transition	-5%	1971	44
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain	+167%	1968	49
Atlantic Northern Forest	+180%	1968	74
Sierra Nevada	+81%	1981	10
Central Mixed Grass Prairie	+271%	1988	23
Edwards Plateau	+196%	1976	17
Oaks and Prairies	+562%	1969	65
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie	16×	1968	130
Prairie Hardwood Transition	+258%	1968	73
Central Hardwoods	13×	1968	159
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas	+281%	1969	108
Mississippi Alluvial Valley	+626%	1969	60
Southeastern Coastal Plain	+429%	1968	335
Appalachian Mountains	13×	1968	311
Piedmont	17×	1969	155
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast	+773%	1968	119
Peninsular Florida	+72%	1968	80
Coastal California	+503%	1970	90
Sonoran and Mojave Deserts	-49%	1980	4
Tamaulipan Brushlands	+47%	1974	8
Gulf Coastal Prairie	+20%	1969	29

Red-shouldered Hawk Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it up about 255% 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.