In Wisconsin, the group of birds termed Forest Raptors includes many resident and migratory
hawk and owl species. This list includes: Northern Goshawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk,
Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Merlin, American Kestrel, Long-eared Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Great Gray Owl,
Eastern Screech Owl, and Northern Saw-whet Owl. As top carnivores, raptors are viewed as barometers of
environmental health.
Many Forest Raptor species are secretive and difficult to census, thus basic abundance or status information
is lacking. In 2002, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources began to place additional emphasis on
collecting data to fill these gaps through educational materials, training, and field surveys. The following
pages contain information from this work and additional Forest Raptor projects throughout Wisconsin and the
Upper Great Lakes.