Camera: Nikon Z6II

Lens: Sigma 150-600

Aperture: 6.3

Shutter speed: 1/3200

ISO: 640

Description: Secretary bird mating rituals look rough, but if you get a chance to catch it, it's totally worth it

Story from behind the lens: We were driving in the Mara when we noticed what seemed to be a strange secretary bird behavior, 2 couple we running back and forth after each other and against one another. We drove closer, but the birds didn't seem to bother. They were so intensely focused with what they were doing, they lost peripheral vision. Our amazing guide Leshan informed us that this was secretary bird mating rituals. At some point the running stopped and the couple started chasing after one another only to start attacking each other, jumping over one another, holding one another with their claws. Again, our guide informed us that was mating. If I didn't know to trust my guide, I would have sworn that this was a fight to the death. Some mating it was! I was able to capture this image while 2 were chasing after one bird mid action. Needles to say, it took a look of chasing, adjusting, looking for the right frame and light and high shutter speed to be able to capture the intense moment.