Red-tailed Hawks

Back in March I saw a trio of Red-tailed Hawks overhead. I've read that "spring circling of a pair can be a prelude to copulation", though obviously this is more than a pair. Seeing them together like this in the spring makes me think that breeding was on their minds, though presumably one of them will have to look elsewhere for love.

I don't think I'd even guess at the genders of these hawks. I'm sure the females are (generally) larger, but without knowing how close each individual is I'm not confident in saying whether there are 2 females or 2 males in the picture. If I had to guess, I'd guess there are 2 males attempting to court the same female, and that 2 females wouldn't be in the same vicinity for very long without a decisive territorial battle ensuing.

The hawks eventually soared out of sight, so I have no knowledge of how things settled out between them.

March 10, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 186582487, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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