Who would win in a fight between a Cooper’s Hawk and a Barred Owl?  Hold that thought.  Now imagine it’s two owls versus one hawk.  Okay, proceed.

Two nights ago, I had just finished some mowing when I heard a Barred Owl not too far away.  Then I heard another, so I started recording them on my smartphone. What followed was one of the coolest wildlife spectacles I’ve ever experienced. Here’s the audio:

Fight between Cooper’s Hawk and two Barred Owls.

As soon as I started recording, it was clear that my local Cooper’s Hawk was none too happy with these Barred Owls. I don’t know what actually started the skirmish.  Perhaps the owls had gotten a bit too close to the accipiter’s nest?  Maybe it was the Coop who instigated the problem, by perhaps nabbing a fledgling owl?  I just can’t say.

What I can say is that…