Fighting Red-tailed Hawk juveniles, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, UtahFighting Red-tailed Hawk juveniles – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light, not baited

While photographing a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk that was perched on a post yesterday I could hear an American Kestrel calling above so when my subject looked up and started acting defensive I thought the kestrel was flying in but instead another juvenile red-tailed flew in to fight over the perch. The action came as a surprise and though I wish the light had been a bit better but I still like the interaction between the two fighting Red-tailed Hawk juveniles. It is possible that these two juveniles are siblings but it is just as possible that they aren’t so I won’t speculate on that.

The skirmish only lasted a few seconds, the perched red-tailed hawk juvenile flew off and the attacking juvenile landed on the ground below the perch and promptly flew off to chase the other juvenile. Their “fight” actually seemed to be less fight and more play.

I wonder if these two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks will hang around for the winter, I sure hope so.

Mia

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