The 10-year migration count trends for Zone-tailed Hawks suggest stable migrant populations as the two autumn count sites in the Gulf Region, both in Mexico, reported stable counts during this span (see pie charts and trend maps below). Twenty-year count trends (not shown) also reflect a stable or increasing population (Gulf Region: 1 stable, 1 increase).

Winter survey data from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) show increasing trends with the annual percent increase in population of 4.92% per year between 2009-2022. Similarly, eBird abundance data has reported an increase in Zone-Tailed Hawk populations over the last 10 years (2012-2022). A median increase of 7.1% was documented range-wide, with the most significant increases detected in Colombia, Costa Rica, and the United States. The Zone-tailed Hawk is a Species of Least Concern, designated by IUCN Red List. It is listed as Threatened in Texas and is considered a sensitive species in the United States due to loss of suitable riparian nesting habitats and its rarity in the country. The United States population should be closely monitored due to its location in the upper periphery of the species range.