Conservation assessment of raptors within the USA and Canada

Raptors are of global conservation concern and thus country-level assessments of their status are needed. We review studies and conservation databases to determine priorities for raptor conservation within the USA and Canada. We specifically examine databases compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), BirdLife International, Partners in Flight, the Raptor Population Index, state wildlife agencies, and NatureServe. Of the 56 breeding raptor species that IUCN considers to occur within the two countries, the most pressing conservation challenge is the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). This species is the only North American raptor that is Critically Endangered according to the IUCN, and the only one ranked as Critically Imperiled by NatureServe. Other priority species according to IUCN are the ‘Io (Buteo solitarius; Near Threatened), the Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis; Near Threatened), and the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus; Vulnerable). Fifteen subspecies are listed as Imperiled or Vulnerable by NatureServe, and six of these are listed as either birds of conservation concern or are listed by the USA Endangered Species Act. Priority subspecies include residents of Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) and Puerto Rico, as well as the Northern Spotted Owl (S. o. caurina). Some abundant and widespread species are of conservation concern because of ongoing, continent-wide population declines. Vultures are the most abundant raptors in the USA and Canada and are increasing in number. The current status of raptors across the USA and Canada is generally secure, but there are some important conservation priorities.