The ferruginous hawk population-once widespread throughout North America-has declined significantly since the early 1900s, but appears to be stabilizing at roughly one-quarter its original size (between 5,842 and 11,330 individuals).
Concerns for the ferruginous hawk include the loss of suitable breeding and wintering habitat. In Canada, habitat availability has shrunk by an estimated 50 percent and dramatically affected the species' nest sites. Other threats include eradication programs for the prairie dog and ground squirrel, succession of northern grassland habitats to forests, collisions with power lines, road construction, contaminants, disease as well as hunting.
The NACAP encourages the creation of markets for certified range-friendly products such as grass-fed beef that support native grassland conservation, the development of an information package for resource managers and landowners and a training program for field staff to identify key breeding and wintering habitats throughout the range.
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Publication – Ferruginous Hawk