The Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme currently focuses primarily on the annual monitoring of diurnal birds of prey and owls native to, and which regularly occur within, Scotland.

Taxonomically, these species occur within four distinct families:
Accipitriformes (hawks, buzzards, eagles, kites, vultures and harriers), Falconiformes (falcons), Pandioniformes (Osprey) and Strigiformes (Owls).

The SRMS also monitors the Northern Raven which, while not strictly a raptor, shares ecological similarities, and is therefore treated as an honorary raptor within the Scheme.