The theory of adaptive habitat selection posits that individuals preferentially select habitats that maximize or improve their fitness. However, various behavioral or environmental constraints can result in mismatches between habitat quality and selection. In long-lived territorial species like Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni), these mismatches may pose serious risk to population viability. Using data from 1985-2024, we examine a population of Swainson’s Hawks breeding in Butte Valley, California. The majority of breeding pairs have established territories around, or in close proximity to, irrigated farmland producing hay varieties (e.g., alfalfa [Medicago sativa]), a habitat that supports abundant prey communities but has changed in distribution and abundance over time due to shifting agricultural practices. Thus, this long-term dataset is ideal to test whether adaptive habitat selection is operating as habitat conditions have changed over time. We assess nesting territory selection as well as nesting success and productivity (measures of habitat quality) over time and as a function of varying land cover compositions. Comparing these results will help reveal whether these habitat choices are adaptive. This information may have implications for understanding how Swainson’s Hawk populations may respond to future changes in land use.