White-tailed Hawk
White-tailed Hawk has surged: up 252% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the White-tailed Hawk
The White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) 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 37 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the Gulf Coastal Prairie.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable White-tailed Hawk Trends
No notable trend signals for White-tailed Hawk. See the full index history below.
White-tailed Hawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, White-tailed Hawk is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.01 (95% range 0.01–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±103.3%, with 60% 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 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 2027 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 2028 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 2029 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Where the White-tailed Hawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording White-tailed Hawk, sized by most recent count.
White-tailed Hawk Population Trend by State
| Texas | +193% | 1970 | 37 |
White-tailed Hawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Oaks and Prairies | +14% | 1996 | 5 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | -26% | 1970 | 12 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | +155% | 1979 | 20 |
White-tailed Hawk Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 252% 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.