Midwest · Mississippi Flyway
Hawks in Michigan
Hawks in Michigan come down to 9 species with regular eBird records, led by the Red-tailed Hawk. Together they account for 341,374 of the 20 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 1.7% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, American Goshawk and Swainson's Hawk. Hawks range from the crow-sized accipiters that ambush songbirds at feeders to the broad-winged soaring buteos you see circling over highways. Many are year-round residents; others pass through in large numbers during spring and fall migration.
Hawks in Michigan: every species, most-reported first
Every hawk with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) — 171,488 records, 0.9% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) — 57,829 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from August to April and peaking in January.
3. Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) — 30,654 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from August to April and peaking in January.
4. Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) — 25,435 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) — 19,794 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from March to May and peaking in October.
6. Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) — 17,702 records, 0.09% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
7. Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) — 16,650 records, 0.08% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to September and peaking in September.
8. American Goshawk (Astur atricapillus) — 1,711 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from March to November and peaking in October.
9. Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) — 111 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, May and October with a peak in October.
When to see hawks in Michigan
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, hawks are most prominent in January, December and February and least in June and July. 2 of the 9 species are year-round — Red-tailed Hawk and Red-shouldered Hawk — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Broad-winged Hawk arrives around April and is mostly gone after September (peak September); American Goshawk arrives around March and is mostly gone after November (peak October).
Winter visitors. Cooper's Hawk arrives around August and leaves after April (peak January); Northern Harrier arrives around August and leaves after April (peak January); Sharp-shinned Hawk arrives around March and leaves after May (peak October); Rough-legged Hawk arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January).
Passage migrants. Swainson's Hawk is reported mainly in April, May and October.
Attracting hawks to Michigan backyards
A hawk visiting a feeder is part of a healthy yard, not a problem to solve. Dense shrubs and brush piles within a few feet of feeders give small birds cover; if a hawk keys in on your feeder, taking it down for a few days usually moves the hawk along.
In Michigan the hawk most likely to turn up is the Red-tailed Hawk, a year-round resident, followed by the Red-shouldered Hawk. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Hawks in Michigan: FAQ
How many species of hawks are there in Michigan?
9 species of hawks have regular eBird records in Michigan (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, American Goshawk and Swainson's Hawk.
What is the most common hawk in Michigan?
The Red-tailed Hawk, with 171,488 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Cooper's Hawk with 57,829. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see hawks in Michigan?
January, December and February, when the combined share of Michigan eBird records belonging to hawks is highest. Summer visitors such as the Broad-winged Hawk arrive around April. Winter visitors such as the Cooper's Hawk arrive around August.
More birds in Michigan
Hawks in other states
Hawks in Michigan: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Michigan records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Accipitridae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.