Laura Goggin Photography

Fall Foliage 2026 - Part 4

2026-11-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing with the fall foliage series this week, we have colorful scenes from Evergreen Cemetery in Brooklyn.

More to come...

Fall Foliage 2026 - Part 3

2026-11-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

This week is dedicated to fall foliage because I can never get enough. Not only is the scenery spectacular, the changing leaves fill the air with a pleasant calming scent.

Below are some scenes from a walk I took on Halloween.

All Faiths Cemetery in Queens:

Mount Olivet Cemetery in Maspeth:

More to come...

See more fall foliage posts here.

Fall Foliage 2026 - Part 2

2026-11-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Following my previous post on Fall Foliage, we continue with more colorful highlights from the last week or so.

This is looking at the High Line from Washington Street in the Meatpacking District.

These scenes are from Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn. Cemeteries are great places to see fall foliage as they tend to have a nice variety of trees.

This is a Sugar Maple and this photo just doesn't convey the intensity of the orange color.

This is All Faiths Cemetery in Queens.

Beth-El Cemetery in Queens:

Tompkins Square Park:

The Krishna Tree looking lovely in yellow:

Finally, the scene around the Temperance Fountain:

But wait, there's more! As October turned into November, more trees joined the autumn party, so the fall foliage series will continue next week.

See previous fall foliage posts here.

Fall Foliage 2026 - Part 1

2026-11-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's my favorite time of year when the trees put on their spectacular color show. This season, leaves in the city appeared to start changing color in late October, and they're at their peak now.

Below are some scenes from October, the first few being from Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Here are a few images from Union Field Cemetery in Queens.

More to come...

See fall foliage from past years here.

Interesting hawk activity in Tompkins Square

2026-10-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

An interesting hawk drama played out Tuesday evening in Tompkins Square Park.

It began when I saw one red-tailed hawk fly into a tree above my head. A half second later, Amelia flew by clutching a pigeon. She landed in a tree about 50 feet away from the first hawk.

Amelia took the pigeon to another tree where she quickly ate it, then quietly perched on a branch.

I went back to the first hawk, assuming it would be her mate, Charlie, but it turned out to be a juvenile.

As Amelia seemed to be cool with this young hawk close by, I wondered if it could be one of her offspring from this last season.

I really have no way of confirming the identity of any of the fledglings, and it's a bit late in the year for any of them to still be hanging around, so I was intrigued.

This young hawk seemed pretty comfortable in this environment, and spent about a half hour watching squirrels and pigeons on the ground.

Eventually, the young hawk dove after some pigeons, but missed and ended up in a tree about 100 feet further away.

From its new perch, the young hawk studied the prey situation. The sun had just set, and the rats were emerging from their burrows.

In a flash, the young hawk dove down and caught a small rat in the garden area near the tree where I first saw it perched.

All seemed well until I heard the deep hoarse red-tailed hawk scream of Amelia. She did not sound happy, and flew into the branches directly above the young hawk. The juvenile looked straight up at her and remained absolutely frozen for 15-20 minutes. Amelia let out 4-5 more screams and the juvenile did not take its eyes off her. I've never seen a standoff go on for so long.

It looked to me like Amelia was okay having this youngster around until it caught food in her territory. The young hawk dared not move, or she would likely chase it. Then again, Amelia did not want to come any lower - she does not come to the ground like Charlie (and Christo before him) will do. I saw her catch a rat on the ground in the park exactly once, and that was soon after her arrival in 2018. She does the majority of her hunting by grabbing pigeons off rooftops.

Anyway, Amelia tried her best to scold the juvenile and intimidate it into leaving, but it held its ground and didn't move. Eventually, Amelia flew to a tree about 100 feet away and screamed at it from there. At some point, the young hawk felt safe enough to start eating. It stayed on the ground as I think if it took its food to a tree, Amelia would have come after it.

I expected Charlie to show up, but I never saw him, so I guess he was busy. As it became dark, the young hawk took off to the other side of the park, presumably to roost for the night.

Amelia, Charlie, and a surprise Bald Eagle

2026-10-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

I was happy to catch Tompkins Square Red-Tailed Hawks, Charlie and Amelia, perched together on the church cross at Avenue A & 10th Street this last Sunday evening.

Charlie is on the left while Amelia is on the right.

Charlie moves to the top spot.

This has always been a favorite hawk perch and its comforting for me to see them there just hanging out and appearing to enjoy each other's company at the end of the day.

Eventually, Charlie took off to chase some pigeons, and ended up perched on a rooftop pipe a block down the street.

Amelia remained on the church and I stayed with her until the sun disappeared, at which time she took off to go roost somewhere north of the park.

Meanwhile, there are raptors to be seen in other parts of the city. This is an adult Red-Tailed Hawk in Queens, her crop full of dinner.

This was an exciting surprise. I was in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn on Saturday and saw a shadow move across the landscape. I looked up to see this Bald Eagle flying in over Sylvan Water.

The eagle scanned the ground as it sailed in, perhaps looking for prey.

After the dramatic entrance, the eagle flew up into a tree where it perched for about an hour.

This eagle has an interesting dark-tipped tail, which is helpful for identification. I hope it sticks around and makes more appearances.

Mid-October birds - Part 2

2026-10-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Following the first segment of October birds earlier this week, below are some more October highlights. Yellow, olive, brown and gray are the colors of fall bird migration, which coordinates well with the changing colors of the trees.

Female American Redstart:

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet:

I really love these guys. They're active, cute, and don't seem to mind me photographing them.

Pine Warbler:

Common Yellowthroat:

Yellowthroats are another fave of mine. They're not shy and are pretty no matter the season.

This was my first time seeing a Brown Thrasher in Bryant Park.

The Thrasher was accompanied by a Wood Thrush, another first for me in that park.

Palm Warbler:

Palm Warblers can look kind of drab this time of year, but some retain their bright yellow color. This one caught and ate an insect.

For some reason, I see more Blackpoll Warblers in the fall than I do in the spring.

Black-and-White Warbler:

The only bird that may be cuter than the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is the Golden-Crowned Kinglet. For me, they're also much harder to photograph.

Put up a rope fence and you're almost guaranteed to attract an Eastern Phoebe. I spent an afternoon watching several hawking insects from this rope perch.

The most elusive bird in this batch is the Yellow-Breasted Chat. They prefer the shadows and are often challenging to photograph.

Check out Birdcast to see when birds are expected to move through the area over the next few days.

Mid-October birds - Part 1

2026-10-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

This week looks to be good for bird migration along the East Coast. Over the last several days, there has been a big influx of sparrows across the NYC area, as well as thrushes and kinglets. Although most warblers are leaving the area, many can still be found as they head south for the winter.

Below are some highlights from the last few days.

Northern Parula:

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet:

American Redstart:

Black-Throated Blue Warbler:

Magnolia Warbler:

Yellow-Rumped Warbler:

Swamp Sparrow:

Lincoln's Sparrow:

White-Throated Sparrow:

Female Rose-Breasted Grosbeak:

Immature Red-Tailed Hawk:

Red-tails live in the city year-round, but this is the time of year we see many young hawks migrating through the area. Some may stay the winter.

More birds of fall

2026-10-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Here are some more fall birds seen around the city recently. I've taken loads of photos so far this season, so I hope to have more posted soon.

Blackpoll Warbler:

Eastern Wood-Pewee:

Pine Warbler:

Palm Warbler eating a fly:

Palm Warbler scouting for prey:

Eastern Phoebe:

Yellow-Rumped Warbler:

Young Cedar Waxwing:

Northern Flicker:

Baltimore Oriole:

Black-Throated Green Warbler:

Late season Ruby-Throated Hummingbird:

These guys are here year-round, but I always enjoy the charismatic Northern Mockingbirds.

Savannah Sparrow:

Spotted Sandpiper taking a break:

Birds of Fall

2026-10-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

I enjoy fall bird migration as it goes on for longer than it does in spring and I tend to see more birds overall. Many of the birds are youngsters embarking on their first journey after being born over the spring/summer.

Below are some recent highlights from around the city.

Black-Throated Blue Warbler (female):

Baltimore Oriole:

Young Brown-Headed Cowbird (male):

Semipalmated Sandpiper:

Lark Sparrow taking a bath:

Savannah Sparrow:

Northern Waterthrush:

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo:

Common Nighthawk:

Fall Hawks

2026-10-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

The Tompkins Square Red-Tailed Hawk fledglings appear to all be off on their fall migration journeys, so parents, Amelia and Charlie, have some time to themselves. I haven't been tracking them too closely recently, but I found Amelia perched on the dome of Most Holy Redeemer church earlier this week.

Most Holy Redeemer is one of the favorite sites where our local hawks spend their time. Beginning with Christo and Dora, and continuing with Charlie and Amelia, the church dome and cross serve as a resting place and lookout for the birds. They take their meals up there and spend a lot of time surveying their territory from the north and east sides.

Back in 2015, Christo and Dora nested on the Ageloff building on Avenue A, a half block from the church. They had three chicks that year and one of the fledglings spent and afternoon frolicking on the slope of the dome. One of its siblings later managed to change the time on the church clock, which is one of my favorite fledgling hawk memories. Posts and photos from that year can be found here.

The church is now in danger. EV Grieve has extensive details on the situation, but the short version is the church needs to be landmarked or it may be destroyed. I can't imagine the East Village without this magnificent church, and I really love how the hawks chose to settle in this neighborhood, making the church tower the centerpiece of their territory.

Below are images of some of the other Red-Tailed Hawks I've spent some time with across the city.

This is a male in Queens being assaulted by a Northern Mockingbird.

They almost look like they could be buddies...

But the Mockingbird has a lot to say and the hawk just ignores it.

This is the same hawk on a hunting trip.

This is his mate (female).

At some point, the male caught a pigeon and they used this tree top as a kitchen table.

This is a male in Brooklyn who I've been observing for several years. He is distinct as he doesn't have much of a belly band.

This is the Queens female (I don't have names for these guys).

This is one of the resident hawks from Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. She's a beauty, displaying her perfect tail feathers.

Hoping to see more hawks this fall as they migrate through the area.

That Sunset

2026-09-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

If you were outside in the NYC area last Friday evening, you must have seen it.

That sunset.

I happened to be at Battery Park and the sky initially looked pretty dull and gray. I'd had a long day and was ready to get on the subway to go home, but thought I'd just take a minute and walk out to the sea wall to take a look at the harbor.

Over the next few minutes, the sky quickly changed, gifting us with one of the most spectacular sunsets in a long time.

This is looking towards Jersey City.

That's Ellis Island straight ahead and the Statue of Liberty off to the left.

I wasn't alone enjoying the scene.

After a long summer of hazy heat and humidity, this felt like a welcome seasonal change.

Little things that matter

2026-09-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

When birdwatching gets slow, I turn my attention to insects and small creatures. I previously posted photos of dragonflies, but here are some other insects and critters seen on my nature walks. The observations below took place in New York and Florida.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly:

Long-Tailed Skipper:

Common Buckeye:

White Peacock Butterfly:

Monarch Butterfly (I'm seeing a lot of these around NYC right now):

Fir Tussock Moth caterpillar:

Nature's way of saying Do Not Touch!

Bumblebee resting on the top of a flower stem:

Another Bumblebee taking a nap while hanging on to some blades of grass.

Japanese Beetles:

They're pretty, but an invasive species in North America.

Warning for arachnophobes: spiders ahead!

A cute female Bold Jumping Spider:

She looks lost in thought...

Spiny-Backed Orb Weaver:

A beautiful female Golden Orb Weaver:

A Mabel Orchard Orb Weaver:

This photo was taken in low light, which doesn't really show the spider's wonderful neon turquoise, yellow and orange colors.

Dragonflies

2026-09-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

Dragonflies are my favorite insect and I eagerly await their final form each summer. Below are a few highlights.

Variegated Meadowhawk (female):

Eastern Pondhawk (female):

Eastern Pondhawks mating (male on left):

I think this is a female Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk:

Roseate Skimmer (male):

Eastern Amberwing (female):

Autumn Meadowhawk (male):

Blue Dasher (male):

Blue Dashers are the most common dragonfly I see in the NYC area, and they are the most cooperative for photos, so I always come away with more photos of them than any other.

Female:

Female with two different colored eyes:

Male:

Mating (male on left):

Seeing the dragonflies mate and lay their eggs in water is bittersweet as I know that's the end of the life cycle. It's also a sign of the changing seasons and fall is not too far away.

At least one fledgling red-tailed hawk still hanging out in Tompkins Square

2026-09-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Heading into Labor Day Weekend, here are the latest photos I have of one of the Tompkins Square red-tailed hawk fledglings. As kids go off to school, the young hawks also embark on their own learning journeys as they leave the area and explore the world. I'm never sure when a fledgling hawk sighting in the park could be the last for the season, so each encounter is special.

This fledgling seems to really like the southwest quadrant of the park as I've been seeing it there regularly. There are plenty of pigeons and squirrels to chase in that area.

Here, the hawk perches near the remains of a pigeon left behind on a branch.

This pile of brambles on the lawn east of the chess tables has been a popular perching spot.

Later, the same hawk flew up to a fire escape on 7th Street.

And then took off to go roost for the night as it started getting dark.

Catching up with some other fledgling red-tailed hawks around the city, I found one perched on an ornate tower in Queens (below, right).

Here is one flying along the A subway line.

This is the same hawk heading for Jamaica Bay with the JFK air traffic control tower in the background.

Hawk migration will be picking up now for the next several weeks, so we should start to see more red-tails, Cooper's, and other types of hawks moving through the city.

Tompkins Square hawk fledgling catches a rat

2026-09-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

I was fortunate to have a visit with one of the Tompkins Square Park red-tailed hawk fledglings the other day. It appeared on the west side of the park late in the afternoon as it actively hunted for rodents.

Not finding what it wanted on the ground, the hawk flew up into a tree.

I love the alert and curious look it has on its face. The young hawks always look like they're fascinated by everything.

The hawk took a short break to do some sunbathing on a branch.

After a few minutes, it was back to work, and the hawk flew over to the Don Roberts garden where it resumed its quest for rats.

Success!

The hawk caught a rat in the garden and flew it across the plaza in front of the Krishna Tree. I was too slow on the shutter button, so this photo is slightly out of focus. The hawk was flying so unexpectedly low and fast, not even the dog in the background had time to react as it flew by.

Up on a branch in the Krishna Tree, the hawk briefly posed with its dinner.

If you ever wanted to know what a rat tail looks like turned inside-out, well, here you go...

A squirrel (out of frame) startled the hawk, causing it to raise its wings and hackles.

The squirrel proved to be too much of an annoyance, so the hawk picked up its meal and flew it to another tree.

Venturing outside the neighborhood over the weekend, I saw this young red-tailed hawk as it flew along with a flock of starlings.

More to come...

Governors Island Hawks - Part 3

2026-08-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

As noted previously, I have a ton of photos of red-tailed hawks on Governors Island that I never posted. Below are a few showing the current adult pair and a couple of their fledglings.

I spent a happy afternoon with one of the young hawks as it explored The Yard playground.

The playground was closed, so there were no children around while the hawk was in the playground.

The hawk found a piece of something - maybe a sprinkler - and toyed with it a while.

It's so fun to watch young wildlife enjoy the same things young humans do.

This fledgling (left) probably could not believe its eyes when a squirrel scampered past it on a rooftop. Mom hawk (banded 42A on the right) also seemed incredulous to see the squirrel behave so boldly.

I don't think the squirrel saw the adult hawk until it ran past the chimney. Despite taking such a huge risk, the squirrel lived to see another day.

The fledgling hawk decided to chase after the squirrel after all, but its response was way too delayed.

Another fledgling rests on a structure on the parade ground.

This is dad, otherwise known as M2. I call him this as there was a previous male hawk and I don't have a good name for him. Suggestions are welcome!

He's a handsome hawk with caramel-colored eyes.

Both hawk families on Governors Island and in Tompkins Square Park did well this year, with both sets of parents raising three chicks to fledge.

Previously:

Governors Island Hawks - Part 1

Governors Island Hawks - Part 2

Butterflies and friends

2026-08-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

Late summer, after bird breeding season is done and migration has not yet begun, I like to fill the time looking for insects. Below are a few highlights seen in New York and Florida.

Painted Lady butterfly:

Black Dancer damselfly:

Common Buckeye:

Monarch butterfly:

Gulf Fritillary butterfly:

Red Saddlebags dragonfly:

Eastern Amberwing:

Skipper:

Bumblebee:

Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly:

Bird Grasshopper:

Female Blue Dasher:

Ceraunus Blue butterfly:

Phaon Crescent butterfly:

Roseate Skimmer:

Green Darner:

Mourning Cloak butterfly:

Duskywing:

Dainty Sulphur butterfly:

Sulphur butterfly:

Mid-August check-in with the Tompkins Square hawk family

2026-08-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't seen much of the Tompkins Square Park red-tailed hawk fledglings recently, but I did catch a couple of them in the park last week. As it was late in the day and the light was fading, I was only able to get a few photos of one of them.

As always, the park squirrels keep a close eye on the hawks.

The two fledglings that were in the park appeared to be doing well, and I have to trust the third sibling is also okay. At this time of year, as the young hawks leave the area and go off on their own, we just have to have confidence they can take care of themselves.

Below are some photos of hawk parents, Amelia and Charlie, from earlier in the summer.

This is Amelia being pestered by a Mockingbird as she minded her own business perched on the church cross at Avenue A & E 10th Street.

This is Amelia flying up to one of the towers of St Brigid's church on Avenue B.

This is Charlie hanging out in the skateboard park one afternoon in July. He perched above the fence, watching critters run around in the bushes below.

After about an hour of waiting, he dove down to the bushes and flew back up to the top of the fence gripping a rat.

It may be hard to see in the photos, but the rat is in his right talon.

Getting ready to take off, Charlie grips the rat with both talons.

Charlie kindly flew right past me as he took his rat to another part of the park.

I had to use my phone to get this photo, but Charlie can be seen perched on the branch right above the short-lived Hell Ride ramp.

He stayed up there for over an hour as skateboarders performed their tricks. I was hoping he'd dive down in front of the eagle, but no such luck.

Governors Island Hawks - Part 2

2026-08-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Following my previous post on the Red-Tailed Hawk family on Governors Island, here are some photos showing a dinner sequence.

Dad had caught a rat and delivered it to a fledgling, who was perched on the roof of a building.

That's a big rat!

Dad flew overhead, checking to see how things were going.

Warning - the following images are a bit gory.

I watched as the fledgling hawk managed to skin the rat and turn it inside-out. I've seen young hawks do this before, but this time was pretty impressive as the rat was so large.

Normally, hawks tear away pieces of their prey and eat small bites. This hawk, however, ate the furry skin in one big chunk, then tried to swallow the whole rat, which didn't go so well.

Unable to gulp down the entire rat, the hawk pulled it out of its mouth and dropped it in the gutter. Frustrated and crying, the fledgling didn't seem to know what to do.

Mom (blue band 42A) flew in to assist.

She pulled the rat out of the gutter and I thought she would feed the kid, but she decided to eat it herself, starting with the tail.

You can see the fledgling's crop is bulging, so apparently the rat pelt was enough to tide it over as it did not protest when mom ate the rest of the meal.

Just as she finished, dad flew in to check for leftovers.

Unfortunately for him, there was nothing left.

Both the fledgling and dad watched as mom took off.

This is a closer image of her, showing her bands.

I had to leave for the day, but I'm glad to have observed this interesting family gathering.

Governors Island Hawks - Part 1

2026-08-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

I focus on the Red-Tailed Hawks of Tompkins Square Park on this site, but I actually observe many hawk families around the city. One of those is on Governors Island, where hawks have been nesting the last several years. I'm sitting on a mountain of photos of that family that I have never posted, so here are a few to start.

A fledgling taking a bath in a puddle on a hot day:

Drying off on a light pole:

All dry and groomed:

Another fledgling perched in a tree:

Mom (blue band 42A) delivers a starling for lunch, which the fledgling takes from her:

Mom goes hunting around the lavender field:

She was going after rodents, but was unsuccessful with this particular attempt.

This is the adult pair (male above left) on one of the speaker poles at Fort Jay at sunset. These two successfully raised three chicks to fledge this last season.

More to come...

A few Bald Eagle photos

2026-08-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

I've seen more Bald Eagles this year than ever before, which has been really great. They bring excitement where ever they go and each observation makes my day.

Here are two immature eagles chasing an osprey, hoping to steal its fish.

The two bullies were relentless, but the osprey managed to out-fly them.

This is one of the eagles.

Another immature eagle:

Now with a fish in its talons:

I watched this adult eagle fishing at a lake. It would circle high overhead, then drop down with its talons extended.

It missed its target a few times, circled around, an eventually flew away.

Another adult eagle:

And, another one with an unusually dark face.

Another adult eagle, taking off for a flight on a clear bright day.

I have almost as many eagle photos as pelican photos, so get ready for more of both in future posts.

A few photos of Amelia and Charlie

2026-08-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

The Tompkins Square Park hawk fledglings are dispersing, moving further away from the park and embarking on their independent lives. I've still been seeing one in the park and one of the others around the neighborhood, but they are getting harder to find.

After such a busy nesting season, mom Amelia and dad Charlie can take a bit of a break. I've been seeing them hanging out a lot on the dome of Most Holy Redeemer church. In the photo below, Charlie is on the lower left and Amelia is on the upper right.

Another angle:

From the church tower, the hawks no doubt have an excellent view of the city and can likely see their offspring wherever they are in the neighborhood.

This is Amelia on a different day. She seems to like that spot.

Charlie and Amelia in the air together:

Here is the pair together on top of the cross. They are both molting and looking a little rugged. Charlie is the one closer to the camera.

This is Amelia earlier this summer before she started molting. In this photo, she still has all twelve of her tail feathers. When I saw her the other day, I think I counted six or seven.

This tiny bare branch at the top of a tree in Tompkins Square is one of Amelia's favorite perches. It may be the highest point in the park.

Back when we had an unpleasant heat wave, I caught Charlie taking a dip in the rain gutter of St Brigid's church.

This photo was taken earlier this week as Charlie perched on the cross of St Brigid's. It was late in the afternoon and there had been a break in the humidity. He seemed content perched up there, just relaxing and enjoying the breeze.

Charlie vs. a squirrel

2026-08-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

I found Red-Tailed Hawk, Charlie, in Tompkins Square the other day being tormented by a squirrel. He started out in one tree, got chased out by a squirrel, and flew to another tree where a second squirrel confronted him.

He tried to intimidate the squirrel into leaving him alone.

The squirrel, however, didn't back down easily.

The park squirrels are very territorial and possessive of their trees. They don't want the hawks around and will do everything they can to get the birds out of their trees.

Always willing to join the fray, a Blue Jay snuck up behind Charlie to help remove him from his perch.

Annoyed, Charlie, threatened the squirrel with his talons, but ended up flying to another tree.

In the new tree, Charlie quickly discovered it, too, had its own resident guardian squirrel.

This squirrel seemed to tease the hawk, crawling along the bottom of the branch where Charlie couldn't reach it.

I have to wonder if all the animals in the park know each other. Or, at least, recognize each other. They live in a small area and the squirrels stick to their own territories. Maybe these two have had previous interactions.

It's worth noting it's the time of year when the hawks molt, so Charlie is looking a little ragged around the face.

Here is a post from a year ago showing Charlie going through his summer molt. And this post from 2024 shows Christo looking especially rough.

Harassment by squirrels wasn't the only annoyance for Charlie on this same afternoon. He took refuge on the cross of St Brigid's Church, but the Blue Jays found him there.

This particular jay was really persistent.

As always, the hawk displayed a lot of patience and tolerance of the bullying. When they are perched, there is not much a hawk can do when mobbed by smaller birds who are more agile. I've noticed the Blue Jays will keep up their pestering for a while, but will eventually give up and go away, often returning later if the hawk is still there.

Bald Eagle mobbed by Kingbirds

2026-07-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, I posted some photos of Red-Tailed Hawk, Amelia, being mobbed by a Northern Mockingbird. I've always thought Mockingbirds to be the gutsiest of all the small birds when it comes to assaulting raptors. A recent experience, however, has changed my mind.

I now declare Eastern Kingbirds masters of mobbing.

I was hiking on a rainy day when I heard a Kingbird calling, followed by the cries of a young Bald Eagle. It turns out the Eagle had committed the crime of perching in the Kingbird's tree.

A pair of Kingbirds harassed the Eagle until it flew out of the tree, at which point they followed and aggressively bit the Eagle on the back and head.

This was the first time I'd ever seen the golden crowns of the Kingbirds (visible in the photo below), a sign they were really riled up.

This was one of the most exciting bird observations I've had, so I was annoyed that it happened on a dark rainy day with bad light, but I'm happy to have been able to get these photos even if they aren't the best quality.

In the end, the Kingbirds chased the Eagle far from their tree, which they returned to, victorious.

On the same day, I found an adult Bald Eagle being bullied by a Mockingbird.

It was interesting to note that the Mockingbird approached the adult Eagle from behind and bit its tail rather than going for the head. Maybe the Mockingbird recognized that this was a more experienced and threatening enemy than the young inexperienced Eagle.

Eventually, the persistent Mockingbird won this battle as well, driving the Eagle off its perch and out of the area.