Red-tailed Hawk Nesting Maintenance Behavior in the Fall

Adult Red-tailed Hawk in flight with nesting materials in the Fall – Nikon D810, f10, 1/1250, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Last October I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk soaring over Farmington Bay WMA and with my naked eyes it appeared to be carrying something and when I trained my lens on the hawk I could see that it had a twig grasped in its bill.

It seemed a little odd to me that a Red-tailed Hawk would be gathering nesting material in the fall but about that time a friend came up to talk and I stopped photographing the hawk. There was a nest in a tree not far from where I photographed this hawk.

Later I spoke with Jerry Liguori; who is a friend, raptor expert, and author, and when I explained what I had seen he said that sometimes in the fall pairs of Red-tailed Hawks do nesting maintenance. I processed this image last fall but didn’t post it because the hawk was so far away.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk in its nest in the Fall – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Yesterday I was out looking for birds in Box Elder County and enjoying the bright morning when I saw a pair of Red-tailed Hawks perched on rocky outcroppings but I passed them by because they were on the wrong side of my Jeep and they were a bit far away. I also thought they might be closer when I came back up the road.

Later when I headed back that way I was at first disappointed because I didn’t see the hawks but when I rounded the edge of the cliff I saw both birds in flight and both of them had nesting materials.

I quickly pulled over to the shoulder of the road but missed this Red-tailed Hawk flying into the nest with twigs in its bill. I watched the other hawk circle above and then this hawk took off and landed on the hillside and appeared to be searching for nesting materials.

I was fighting mosquitoes again and missed it taking off with a branch it had grabbed from the ground.

I didn’t want to have my presence affect the nesting maintenance behavior of the pair of Red-tailed Hawks so I left them to do what comes natural to them.

Red-tailed Hawk with nesting material in Autumn – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

About 18 miles from where I photographed the Red-tailed Hawk in its nest I came across another Red-tailed perched on a tall pole.

When I put my lens on it the hawk picked up a branch with leaves on it and I took a few images of it before it lifted off and flew to a tree where I knew I’d seen a nest earlier this year.

I enjoyed seeing the Red-tailed Hawks yesterday and observing their nesting maintenance behavior in the Fall, I don’t see it very often so it makes it special to me.

Red-tailed Hawks keep busy maintaining their nests, either fixing up an old pile of sticks or starting from scratch in tall trees, on cliffs, or even on towers.

Both parents pitch in, bringing twigs, bark, and fresh greenery beginning in late winter to early spring to create a softer interior.

They can be touchy about disturbances early on, but once eggs are in the nest, their commitment locks in, and many pairs return to the same sites year after year.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.