{"id":10206,"date":"2013-11-08T05:34:13","date_gmt":"2013-11-08T12:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=10206"},"modified":"2026-01-04T13:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T19:35:10","slug":"red-tailed-hawks-mates-for-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/11\/08\/red-tailed-hawks-mates-for-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-tailed Hawks – Mates for Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Red-tailedRed-tailed Hawks – Mates for Life – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited, taken in 2012<\/span><\/p>\n

For several years now I have been observing and photographing a mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana that have a\u00a0favorite perch that I often see them on. \u00a0Red-tailed Hawks are monogamous and will mate for life and will only move on to a new mate if the other one dies.<\/p>\n

The hawks above are migratory because the winters in the Centennial Valley are harsh and the ground is often covered in deep snow which makes it extremely difficult for them to find\u00a0enough prey to survive. I have often wondered if mated pairs of Red-tailed Hawks migrate together and I would be interested to know if they do.<\/p>\n

\"CentennialCentennial Valley Red-tailed Hawks – Nikon D300, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 321mm, natural light, not baited, taken in 2013<\/span><\/p>\n

John Taft who lives near this perch has seen a mated pair in the same location for about 30 years, I believe since Red-tailed Hawks only live about 22 years in the wild that he has observed more than one mated pair perching in this tree.<\/p>\n

Each year the migratory Red-tailed Hawks<\/span><\/a> come back to the same area to mate and raise their young, vigorously defending their territory from other hawks and owls.<\/p>\n

I think it is amazing that monogamous birds such as this mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks that are migratory are able to find their way back to each other and their breeding territory. \u00a0But then.. nature is amazing.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red-tailed Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For several years now I have been observing and photographing a mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana that have a favorite perch that I often see them on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,27,223,12,608,449],"tags":[4004,2663,4170,11213,4169,2237,2240,2138,5778,2387,2139,4104,153,4209,165],"class_list":["post-10206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-avian","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","category-red-tailed-hawks","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-buteo-jamaicensis-calurus","tag-hawks","tag-hawks-of-montana","tag-mated-pair","tag-mates","tag-mates-for-life","tag-migratory","tag-pair","tag-perched","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-spring"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/red-tailed-hawks-mated-pair-mia-mcpherson-4483.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-2EC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5400,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/07\/25\/a-pair-of-red-tailed-hawks-in-early-morning-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":10206,"position":0},"title":"Pair of Red-tailed Hawks in early morning light","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Having one Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) in my viewfinder is a joy and getting two of them in the same frame is even more of a delight.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of adult Red-tailed Hawks on a dead Aspen, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/red-tailed-hawks-mia-mcpherson-4276.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/red-tailed-hawks-mia-mcpherson-4276.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It is raining here in the valley this morning and snow is falling in the high country in the middle of June so I am sitting here dreaming of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"View of the Centennial Mountains from Wigeon Pond, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-7409.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-7409.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-7409.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-7409.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7476,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-adults\/","url_meta":{"origin":10206,"position":3},"title":"Red-tailed Hawk Adults","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Just a few Red-tailed Hawk images that I have been meaning to process and share.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of adult Red-tailed Hawks, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/red-tailed-hawk-adults-mia-mcpherson-4308.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/red-tailed-hawk-adults-mia-mcpherson-4308.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/red-tailed-hawk-adults-mia-mcpherson-4308.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Montana","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 31, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"On my mid-July journey to southwestern Montana it seemed like there were juvenile hawks every where I looked, the east and west side of the Centennial Valley and the south and north sides too.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched on an old fence rail, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3862.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3862.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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