{"id":6577,"date":"2012-11-14T06:05:34","date_gmt":"2012-11-14T13:05:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=6577"},"modified":"2025-12-18T15:41:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T21:41:09","slug":"northern-harrier-chasing-a-juvenile-red-tailed-hawk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/11\/14\/northern-harrier-chasing-a-juvenile-red-tailed-hawk\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern Harrier Chasing A Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NorthernNorthern Harrier chasing a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

This image of a Northern Harrier and a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk in an aerial dogfight over Antelope Island State Park<\/span><\/a> was taken the day before the recent snow storm started that we had here in the Salt Lake Valley over the weekend.<\/p>\n

When I spotted and pointed out these hawks they were up a slope near Frary Peak.<\/p>\n

I wish the raptors had been a bit closer than they were but I might have clipped the wing tips of the Northern Harrier in this image if they had been closer.<\/p>\n

To me, it seemed much more like they were playing than actually fighting.<\/p>\n

The “fight” only lasted a few seconds and no birds were harmed. They did get my heart pumping!<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my Northern Harrier photos plus facts and information about this species. 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":"

This image of a Northern Harrier and a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk in an aerial dogfight over Antelope Island State Park was taken the day before the recent snow storm started that we had here in the Salt Lake Valley over the weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_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":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[511,27,1022,348,449,26],"tags":[4510,970,4021,4170,929,765,11978,4620,4743,4337,4052,4122,9118,2783,4033,4169,4067,4071,4006,4806,153,4209,4193],"class_list":["post-6577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-northern-harriers","category-red-tailed-hawks","category-utah","tag-aerial-dogfight","tag-autumn","tag-bird-photography","tag-buteo-jamaicensis","tag-chasing","tag-circus-hudsonius","tag-desert-island","tag-fall","tag-fight","tag-fighting","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-hariers","tag-harrier","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-northern-harrier","tag-playing","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-tailed-hawk-northern-harrier-mia-mcpherson-7123.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1I5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":46501,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/04\/30\/red-tailed-hawk-on-a-rocky-perch-in-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":6577,"position":0},"title":"Red-tailed Hawk on a Rocky Perch in Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"There is nothing special about this photo of a Red-tailed Hawk on a rock perch that I photographed yesterday in northern Utah but I quite like it for its simplicity.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-tailed Hawk on a rocky perch, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-perched-mia-mcpherson-6111.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-perched-mia-mcpherson-6111.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-perched-mia-mcpherson-6111.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-perched-mia-mcpherson-6111.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3409,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/10\/28\/taking-a-look-back-on-a-few-previous-autumn-birds\/","url_meta":{"origin":6577,"position":1},"title":"Taking A Look Back On A Few Previous Autumn Birds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Photographing birds during Autumn is a wonderful time for me in Utah, the beautiful fall colors delight and enthrall me, the air gets nippy and I find myself feeling a surge of energy whenever I am outdoors.","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":"Ring-necked Pheasant male in autumn grasses and pickleweed, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ring-necked-pheasant-male-pickleweed-mia-mcpherson-2332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ring-necked-pheasant-male-pickleweed-mia-mcpherson-2332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ring-necked-pheasant-male-pickleweed-mia-mcpherson-2332.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ring-necked-pheasant-male-pickleweed-mia-mcpherson-2332.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40068,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/06\/19\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-in-flight-over-the-targhee-national-forest\/","url_meta":{"origin":6577,"position":2},"title":"Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile In Flight Over The Targhee National Forest","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The Targhee National Forest is a wonderful place to find and photograph birds and wildlife including this Red-tailed Hawk juvenile in flight.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Targhee National Forest Red-tailed Hawk juvenile, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-8940.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-8940.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-8940.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-8940.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":75711,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/12\/04\/immature-red-tailed-hawk-harassed-by-a-northern-harrier\/","url_meta":{"origin":6577,"position":3},"title":"Immature Red-tailed Hawk Harassed By A Northern Harrier","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I found an immature Red-tailed Hawk in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday and spent 28 minutes photographing it including when a Northern Harrier harassed it.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Red-tailed Hawk after a Northern Harrier flew over, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-marsh-mia-mcpherson-7624.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-marsh-mia-mcpherson-7624.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-marsh-mia-mcpherson-7624.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/red-tailed-hawk-immature-marsh-mia-mcpherson-7624.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57649,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/05\/06\/red-tailed-hawk-behavior-when-a-northern-harrier-attacks\/","url_meta":{"origin":6577,"position":4},"title":"Red-tailed Hawk Behavior When A Northern Harrier Attacks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 6, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"When I heard a call to my left I glanced in that direction and saw a female Northern Harrier flying towards the Red-tailed at break neck speed.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-tailed Hawk in a defensive posture during a Northern Harrier attack, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-harrier-attack-mia-mcpherson-2223.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-harrier-attack-mia-mcpherson-2223.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-harrier-attack-mia-mcpherson-2223.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-harrier-attack-mia-mcpherson-2223.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6686,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/12\/01\/juvenile-red-tailed-hawk\/","url_meta":{"origin":6577,"position":5},"title":"Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the nice things about cruddy weather is that I get the chance to edit some of the images that are languishing in my files that I have taken but not gotten around to processing. Here are a few of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk photographed in August on Antelope\u2026","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":"Red-tailed Hawk juvenile flying between rock faces, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-4232-flight.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-4232-flight.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-4232-flight.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/red-tailed-hawk-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-4232-flight.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/158985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}