Accipiter imitator requires large tracts of undisturbed forest and is threatened as a result of logging and the loss of its habitat.
No observations of Accipiter imitator were made during 11 visits to Bougainville, 1980--1986, or during a visit to Coiseul in 1990 or in 1994. It was sighted twice on Santa Isabel, 1986--1988, in inland forest in the lower valleys. With less than 250 mature individuals it is expected that the species will experience a continued decline.
Accipiter imitator is considered as "Endangered" by the the IUCN Red List for threatened species. CITES lists it as "Appendix 2".