This behavior, talon grappling, is also known in other birds of prey such as the Bald Eagle, and the White-bellied Sea Eagle (Asian). However, it is thought to be territorial defense by some biologists, including myself. To know that it is courtship behavior you would have to know if the birds are a male and a female and a mated pair. That is difficult data to obtain without having marked (banded) birds. It's too bad there was no audio; the calls would likely give us a clue as to if the behavior is territorial or courtship. Interesting video, nonetheless, thanks for posting it.
Given the mating sequence seen two days later (ruclips.net/video/AV2lFOwjYhk/видео.html), I believe that this was courtship behavior. These Red-tailed Hawks are known well to me, as I live in their territory. What I am NOT quite sure I understand is their relationship with a THIRD adult Red-tailed Hawk in their territory. This third individual seems to be not only tolerated, but fully accepted. See: ruclips.net/video/HeRZvRbSsKY/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/GhXWYVfnhM8/видео.html
@@ferrisakel You state, "likely the same". Indicating to me, that you cannot visually identify the fliers in the clip above with certainty. There is growing evidence that talon grappling is territorial. They lock talons to ensure the opponent cannot use these weapons against them. Consider this commentary on a fellow accipitrid: "This observation suggests that defense is the reason why locking talons of both feet is a common configuration in eagle combat. Penetration of the coelomic cavity, for example, can cause organ trauma or secondary peritonitis, and talons passing through or under the sternum, or through the lateral thorax, might penetrate the liver or heart. Thus, when one bird reaches out with intent to grasp, the safest response is to encumber the advancing foot by seizing it, a behavior that is convergent with the behavior of malecervids whose branched antlers interdigitate during combat. Eagles grasping feet-to-feet face the dilemma of being the first to let go and risk being seized by the opponent. Cartwheeling eagles that release only when close to the ground may do so because there is then no time for an adversarial response, as each must disengage to avoid impact with the ground" - A Revealing Case of Territorial Fighting by Golden Eagles. In your video, the first red-tailed buzzard, who flashes talons belly-up, appears to me to be on the defensive. One of the territory holders is actively chasing/escorting this bird away after the initial grasp. We can see other ventral flashes as they fade from view below the canopy. Sharing my conflicting opinion with as friendly a tone as possible, mind. Thank you for uploading! You have a beautiful collection.
@@9Ravens Thank you for the comments. I would note that I actually live in the territory of these Red-tailed Hawks, and I observe them, or at least ATTEMPT to observe them, every day. I would agree that I cannot be absolutely certain as to the identity of the two individuals in the video, I still feel reasonably sure. As it happens, this territorial holding seems to be a bit different, as I have often seen THREE adults together or quite near each other, and in relative proximity to the nest. Here is an example, with the Hawks a very short flight away from the nest. I will admit I am unsure as to the status of the nest that year, as I had not yet discovered its location. I would also note that I have not seen all three adults together recently. ruclips.net/video/HeRZvRbSsKY/видео.html
@@ferrisakel A rise in territorial defensiveness during the breeding season is not uncommon, even if eggs are not laid. It's also possible for one to chase off an intruder, and then return to a mate, to copulate. One would need to be able to identify the individuals to say with certainty. Unless a scenario such as described played out without visual obstruction. Tricky, as Mr. Jenkins noted. What a treat to be able to observe specific individuals near daily. You do/did have/had an unusual triad. Thanks for documenting it! There are a couple published accounts, one by James W. Wiley, titled "Three Adult Red-tailed Hawks Tending a Nest", and another by Eduardo Santana C. et al., titled "Parental Care at a Red-tailed Hawk Nest Tended by Three Adults" that may be of interest to you.
I watched this because I saw two hawks on campus. I think they're mates because I've seen them flying close to each other and perched on a building right beside each other. I'm also trying to identify them. My best guess is red tailed hawks because underneath they look similar to the ones in your video and they also have a rusty red color of feathers. I wish I could find their nest, but when I do see them flying, they fly away too quickly for me to follow. Yesterday I found a rabbit carcass that was pretty fresh and today I found another. Yesterday I found it at about 5 PM and today I found it at around 10 AM. The 10 AM find is definitely new because I walked past the same spot yesterday both on the way to class and on the way home and there was no bunny there. So sometime yesterday evening/night or early this morning a hawk took down the bunny. I wish I could've filmed it. I'm almost certain it's a hawk. The reason is that during the day students walk past all day. The bunnies do not come out during the day when students are constantly walking by. Also the apartment complex I live in is dog-friendly and a walk away from campus. When students walk their dogs, the bunnies do not come out. There are no other predators such as coyotes because it's a campus. I thought maybe they are hunting more frequently because it's chick season, but it's not chick season. But since observing the hawks from last year, I've never seen two carcasses this fresh and close together timing-wise. Is it a coincidence? Thank you for reading my ramblings.
There are many possibilities, including other predators, such as a red fox, so wouldn’t want to speculate. As for a nest, it should be noted that birds do not generally use nests outside of the nesting season. I hope you will continue to enjoy your observations!
@@RobinASmith138 By the way, you may enjoy this video of a different family of Red-tailed Hawks. The video description has more information about them. ruclips.net/video/dSYxDA8dLTQ/видео.html
I saw this one time canoeing near a pump station in a really run down part of my city. It was amazing to see the red tails do this dance. They have great style, that's for sure.
Hello Ferris, I am a university music composition student from Australia and I was wondering if it would be okay if I wrote music for this video. I would give you full credit for the footage. It would not be used for commercial purposes. Thank you in advance!
Okay. I was hoping to exchange e-mail addresses via the band’s website. Do you have some sort of non-public option? If you are on MeWe (a social network similar to Facebook), you can join the Ferris Tour - Bird Watching group there, and we can exchange direct messages.
This was not a dispute, and neither Hawk was attempting to drive the other from the territory. In fact, they share it. Red-tailed Hawks will often interact in midair when no dispute is involved. Here are some examples recorded in the same territory later that year: ruclips.net/video/svYMNEY5dKU/видео.html
@@ferrisakel you are probably right. according to this link blogs.massaudubon.org/yourgreatoutdoors/love-is-for-the-birds/#:~:text=Red%2Dtailed%20Hawk,take%20the%20prize%20for%20dedication., some raptors to talon-locking spirals as a part of their courtship. thanks for your info & thanks for posting this clip.
@@ferrisakel You're right, the interactions in this video are neither territorial defense or courtship. I know this (I'm a retired raptor biologist and a master-permit falconer with almost 50 years of experience) is because the video was taken after the nesting season was over. In late September Red-tailed Hawks are about to migrate south for the winter. Nesting, courtship and territorial defense is over until the next spring. Secondly, at least two of the hawks, the two doing most of the flying, are immatures. You can tell immatures from adults by the brown color of the upper surface of their tails, it's reddish, brick-colored in adults. The young birds in your film at this time of year are practicing their flying, diving and catching skills with their parents. Fun to watch.
Hello, Jalani. I would first like to know the nature of the video project, including its purpose, if it will be used on behalf of a commercial organization, etc. If I find it all acceptable, I may be able to help you.
@@ferrisakel It is for an honors thesis in performance for college . We are creating an adaptation of Macbeth performance piece and find that the courtship flight is a beautiful metaphor between two of our characters. It would not be used for commercial purpose. But would likely also be placed on youtube, and we would like to credit you for the footage.
Jalani Blankenship Okay, that sounds interesting, and I’m glad that it is not for a commercial purpose. I believe I would be willing to help. How much footage is actually needed? I ask this because I happen to have recently processed a segment of the original video file to produce one of much shorter, but better quality than the one posted here on RUclips. If memory serves, the end result was around 12 or 13 seconds long, and it was used on a web page by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which is located here: www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-do-birds-fall-in-love-a-look-at-courtship-displays/
@@ferrisakel After reviewing the clip used in the web page, it would be preferable for us to have something slightly longer, about 20 seconds if possible. The quality was very nice! Please let us know if this is a possibility. Thank you.
Jalani Blankenship Thank you! I would say that a slightly longer clip is possible, though I can’t promise the exact same result as my editing skills are limited and I don’t remember the exact settings I used. I would suggest watching the full video on RUclips, and noting the exact start and stop times you would like. I should be able to take those times and equate fairly closely to the original video file to produce a segment that works for you. Just note that I will not be able to work on the file for a few days, as I will not have access to it likely until Tuesday. Will that fit your timeframe? We will also need to discuss getting the completed video to you without the exposure of e-mail addresses in a public forum such as this, and we should probably have a license agreement (for YOUR protection, more than anything). I have a simple agreement that I have used on a couple prior occasions.
I'm so very lucky...in my back widows...i see hawks all the time...i leave my house to go to work in the morning...always one sitting on light post....stops me every time....such a magnificent soul...absoulte beauty
Some of yall looking at this in 2020 are sinners
I hate that I know what you’re talking about...
* *nervous sweating* *
@@xAPHxHSx I knew someone else would come after seeing the video--
👀👉👈
WHAT VIDEO-
@@sabrinar.2360 you know, if you don't already know you don't need to know
SUCH A FASINATING AND BEAUTIFUL CAPTURE !!
Thank you, very much! I really was lucky to see and record this.
This behavior, talon grappling, is also known in other birds of prey such as the Bald Eagle, and the White-bellied Sea Eagle (Asian). However, it is thought to be territorial defense by some biologists, including myself. To know that it is courtship behavior you would have to know if the birds are a male and a female and a mated pair. That is difficult data to obtain without having marked (banded) birds. It's too bad there was no audio; the calls would likely give us a clue as to if the behavior is territorial or courtship. Interesting video, nonetheless, thanks for posting it.
Given the mating sequence seen two days later (ruclips.net/video/AV2lFOwjYhk/видео.html), I believe that this was courtship behavior. These Red-tailed Hawks are known well to me, as I live in their territory. What I am NOT quite sure I understand is their relationship with a THIRD adult Red-tailed Hawk in their territory. This third individual seems to be not only tolerated, but fully accepted. See: ruclips.net/video/HeRZvRbSsKY/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/GhXWYVfnhM8/видео.html
I caught 2 hawks fighting in a storm by drone in my video... was they courting or fighting?
ruclips.net/video/ND0HI8RAk4c/видео.html
@@ferrisakel You state, "likely the same". Indicating to me, that you cannot visually identify the fliers in the clip above with certainty. There is growing evidence that talon grappling is territorial. They lock talons to ensure the opponent cannot use these weapons against them. Consider this commentary on a fellow accipitrid: "This observation suggests that defense is the reason why locking talons of both feet is a common configuration in eagle combat. Penetration of the coelomic cavity, for example, can cause organ trauma or secondary peritonitis, and talons passing through or under the sternum, or through the lateral thorax, might penetrate the liver or heart. Thus, when one bird reaches out with intent to grasp, the safest response is to encumber the advancing foot by seizing it, a behavior that is convergent with the behavior of malecervids whose branched antlers interdigitate during combat. Eagles grasping feet-to-feet face the dilemma of being the first to let go and risk being seized by the opponent. Cartwheeling eagles that release only when close to the ground may do so because there is then no time for an adversarial response, as each must disengage to avoid impact with the ground" - A Revealing Case of Territorial Fighting by Golden Eagles. In your video, the first red-tailed buzzard, who flashes talons belly-up, appears to me to be on the defensive. One of the territory holders is actively chasing/escorting this bird away after the initial grasp. We can see other ventral flashes as they fade from view below the canopy. Sharing my conflicting opinion with as friendly a tone as possible, mind. Thank you for uploading! You have a beautiful collection.
@@9Ravens Thank you for the comments. I would note that I actually live in the territory of these Red-tailed Hawks, and I observe them, or at least ATTEMPT to observe them, every day. I would agree that I cannot be absolutely certain as to the identity of the two individuals in the video, I still feel reasonably sure.
As it happens, this territorial holding seems to be a bit different, as I have often seen THREE adults together or quite near each other, and in relative proximity to the nest. Here is an example, with the Hawks a very short flight away from the nest. I will admit I am unsure as to the status of the nest that year, as I had not yet discovered its location. I would also note that I have not seen all three adults together recently. ruclips.net/video/HeRZvRbSsKY/видео.html
@@ferrisakel A rise in territorial defensiveness during the breeding season is not uncommon, even if eggs are not laid. It's also possible for one to chase off an intruder, and then return to a mate, to copulate. One would need to be able to identify the individuals to say with certainty. Unless a scenario such as described played out without visual obstruction. Tricky, as Mr. Jenkins noted.
What a treat to be able to observe specific individuals near daily. You do/did have/had an unusual triad. Thanks for documenting it! There are a couple published accounts, one by James W. Wiley, titled "Three Adult Red-tailed Hawks Tending a Nest", and another by Eduardo Santana C. et al., titled "Parental Care at a Red-tailed Hawk Nest Tended by Three Adults" that may be of interest to you.
I watched this because I saw two hawks on campus. I think they're mates because I've seen them flying close to each other and perched on a building right beside each other. I'm also trying to identify them. My best guess is red tailed hawks because underneath they look similar to the ones in your video and they also have a rusty red color of feathers. I wish I could find their nest, but when I do see them flying, they fly away too quickly for me to follow.
Yesterday I found a rabbit carcass that was pretty fresh and today I found another. Yesterday I found it at about 5 PM and today I found it at around 10 AM. The 10 AM find is definitely new because I walked past the same spot yesterday both on the way to class and on the way home and there was no bunny there. So sometime yesterday evening/night or early this morning a hawk took down the bunny. I wish I could've filmed it.
I'm almost certain it's a hawk. The reason is that during the day students walk past all day. The bunnies do not come out during the day when students are constantly walking by. Also the apartment complex I live in is dog-friendly and a walk away from campus. When students walk their dogs, the bunnies do not come out. There are no other predators such as coyotes because it's a campus.
I thought maybe they are hunting more frequently because it's chick season, but it's not chick season. But since observing the hawks from last year, I've never seen two carcasses this fresh and close together timing-wise. Is it a coincidence?
Thank you for reading my ramblings.
There are many possibilities, including other predators, such as a red fox, so wouldn’t want to speculate. As for a nest, it should be noted that birds do not generally use nests outside of the nesting season. I hope you will continue to enjoy your observations!
At 4:16 they're "holding hands". Sweet.
The grasping of talons followed by the spinning in the air is really something to watch.
so wonderful we've these videos to look back on - thank you ferris!
That was magnificent! I really hope to see this in person one day; thank you though for sharing this so I can see this amazing display
Thank you! I was very lucky to have seen this that day.
@@ferrisakel I am a hawk watcher too and I would say it was well deserved with all the time you put in watching them.
@@RobinASmith138 Thank you!!
@@RobinASmith138 By the way, you may enjoy this video of a different family of Red-tailed Hawks. The video description has more information about them. ruclips.net/video/dSYxDA8dLTQ/видео.html
Incredible! Mesmerizing beauty.
They are a joy to watch!
What a fantastic find! 💜
Thank you!!
I saw this one time canoeing near a pump station in a really run down part of my city. It was amazing to see the red tails do this dance. They have great style, that's for sure.
Agreed!
Gloriously Hawks flying On magnificent wings of beauty!❤❤🦅🦅❤️❤️
:-)
Beautiful
Thank you, so much!
Kim I dream of our courtship flight. heaven on earth
**coughs** soooooo baby birds, where you at?-
The locking talons...supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!! TY TY TY
Hello Ferris, I am a university music composition student from Australia and I was wondering if it would be okay if I wrote music for this video. I would give you full credit for the footage. It would not be used for commercial purposes. Thank you in advance!
Hello, Pip. Before allowing use of the footage, I have a few questions I’d like to ask, but this public comments section is not ideal.
Are you with Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers?
@@ferrisakel Not any more, though I used to play keyboard in the band
Okay. I was hoping to exchange e-mail addresses via the band’s website. Do you have some sort of non-public option? If you are on MeWe (a social network similar to Facebook), you can join the Ferris Tour - Bird Watching group there, and we can exchange direct messages.
@@ferrisakel Will do! Thank you!
That footwork
wonderful thank you
Two were enjoying the air and one got to rise in air above .... and then oh my uummm they were together?! I was keep watching them but shy
i'm here because of "Role Models"
I saw this today wild & beautiful
:-)
looks more like a dispute rather than a courtship to me. (at least that's what mid-air talon-locking is interpreted in documentaries.)
This was not a dispute, and neither Hawk was attempting to drive the other from the territory. In fact, they share it. Red-tailed Hawks will often interact in midair when no dispute is involved. Here are some examples recorded in the same territory later that year: ruclips.net/video/svYMNEY5dKU/видео.html
@@ferrisakel you are probably right. according to this link blogs.massaudubon.org/yourgreatoutdoors/love-is-for-the-birds/#:~:text=Red%2Dtailed%20Hawk,take%20the%20prize%20for%20dedication., some raptors to talon-locking spirals as a part of their courtship. thanks for your info & thanks for posting this clip.
@@ferrisakel You're right, the interactions in this video are neither territorial defense or courtship. I know this (I'm a retired raptor biologist and a master-permit falconer with almost 50 years of experience) is because the video was taken after the nesting season was over. In late September Red-tailed Hawks are about to migrate south for the winter. Nesting, courtship and territorial defense is over until the next spring. Secondly, at least two of the hawks, the two doing most of the flying, are immatures. You can tell immatures from adults by the brown color of the upper surface of their tails, it's reddish, brick-colored in adults. The young birds in your film at this time of year are practicing their flying, diving and catching skills with their parents. Fun to watch.
@@m.alanjenkins4792 Thank you! They were, indeed, a joy to watch!
Lovely 💜
Thank you!
Hi Ferris, would I be able to use this footage in a video project? I can credit you.
Hello, Jalani. I would first like to know the nature of the video project, including its purpose, if it will be used on behalf of a commercial organization, etc. If I find it all acceptable, I may be able to help you.
@@ferrisakel It is for an honors thesis in performance for college . We are creating an adaptation of Macbeth performance piece and find that the courtship flight is a beautiful metaphor between two of our characters. It would not be used for commercial purpose. But would likely also be placed on youtube, and we would like to credit you for the footage.
Jalani Blankenship Okay, that sounds interesting, and I’m glad that it is not for a commercial purpose. I believe I would be willing to help. How much footage is actually needed? I ask this because I happen to have recently processed a segment of the original video file to produce one of much shorter, but better quality than the one posted here on RUclips. If memory serves, the end result was around 12 or 13 seconds long, and it was used on a web page by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which is located here: www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-do-birds-fall-in-love-a-look-at-courtship-displays/
@@ferrisakel After reviewing the clip used in the web page, it would be preferable for us to have something slightly longer, about 20 seconds if possible. The quality was very nice! Please let us know if this is a possibility. Thank you.
Jalani Blankenship Thank you! I would say that a slightly longer clip is possible, though I can’t promise the exact same result as my editing skills are limited and I don’t remember the exact settings I used. I would suggest watching the full video on RUclips, and noting the exact start and stop times you would like. I should be able to take those times and equate fairly closely to the original video file to produce a segment that works for you. Just note that I will not be able to work on the file for a few days, as I will not have access to it likely until Tuesday. Will that fit your timeframe? We will also need to discuss getting the completed video to you without the exposure of e-mail addresses in a public forum such as this, and we should probably have a license agreement (for YOUR protection, more than anything). I have a simple agreement that I have used on a couple prior occasions.
I'm so very lucky...in my back widows...i see hawks all the time...i leave my house to go to work in the morning...always one sitting on light post....stops me every time....such a magnificent soul...absoulte beauty
Lucky, indeed!
So I'm here because my boyfriend is a simp.
Ese soy yo
Beautiful
Thank you, so much!