Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk has surged: up 255% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Red-tailed Hawk
The most common and widespread large hawk in North America, the Red-tailed Hawk soars over open country and perches along roadsides watching for prey.
- Size
- 17.5–25.5 in long, about 2.6 lb (45–65 cm, 1.2 kg)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Small mammals such as voles, rabbits and ground squirrels, plus birds and reptiles.
- Range
- Recorded on 4,018 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable Red-tailed Hawk Trends
Red-tailed Hawk has surged in surveyed states: up 255% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Red-tailed Hawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Red-tailed Hawk is projected to rise about 25% by 2029 — from 1.4 in 2024 to a central estimate of 1.7 (95% range 1.5–2.0). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±20.9%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| 2026 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| 2027 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| 2028 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| 2029 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
Where the Red-tailed Hawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording Red-tailed Hawk, sized by most recent count.
Red-tailed Hawk Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +337% | 1968 | 105 |
| Alaska | +3% | 1984 | 53 |
| Arizona | +116% | 1970 | 88 |
| Arkansas | +215% | 1969 | 59 |
| California | +32% | 1970 | 259 |
| Colorado | +372% | 1970 | 156 |
| Connecticut | +397% | 1974 | 20 |
| Delaware | +564% | 1968 | 16 |
| Florida | -6% | 1968 | 107 |
| Georgia | +691% | 1968 | 107 |
| Idaho | +481% | 1971 | 64 |
| Illinois | +178% | 1968 | 105 |
| Indiana | +339% | 1968 | 68 |
| Iowa | +200% | 1969 | 39 |
| Kansas | +72% | 1969 | 67 |
| Kentucky | +361% | 1968 | 64 |
| Louisiana | +678% | 1971 | 81 |
| Maine | +500% | 1979 | 33 |
| Maryland | +635% | 1968 | 73 |
| Massachusetts | +990% | 1969 | 32 |
| Michigan | +233% | 1968 | 96 |
| Minnesota | +130% | 1969 | 86 |
| Mississippi | 11× | 1971 | 67 |
| Missouri | +90% | 1969 | 94 |
| Montana | +306% | 1970 | 109 |
| Nebraska | +226% | 1969 | 72 |
| Nevada | +422% | 1970 | 53 |
| New Hampshire | +459% | 1971 | 22 |
| New Jersey | 13× | 1970 | 37 |
| New Mexico | +5% | 1970 | 83 |
| New York | +201% | 1968 | 114 |
| North Carolina | +164% | 1968 | 103 |
| North Dakota | +210% | 1969 | 51 |
| Ohio | +407% | 1968 | 89 |
| Oklahoma | +56% | 1969 | 70 |
| Oregon | +99% | 1970 | 141 |
| Pennsylvania | +520% | 1968 | 128 |
| Rhode Island | +150% | 1975 | 5 |
| South Carolina | +6% | 1968 | 48 |
| South Dakota | +206% | 1969 | 65 |
| Tennessee | +234% | 1968 | 51 |
| Texas | +76% | 1969 | 235 |
| Utah | -33% | 1970 | 112 |
| Vermont | -54% | 1971 | 23 |
| Virginia | +228% | 1968 | 77 |
| Washington | +201% | 1970 | 107 |
| West Virginia | +448% | 1972 | 56 |
| Wisconsin | +57% | 1968 | 95 |
| Wyoming | +88% | 1970 | 133 |
Red-tailed Hawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Red-tailed Hawk Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. 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.