If you haven’t yet spied them, check out the pair of red-tailed hawks who have built a nest in Riverside Park. They’ve adopted a honey locust tree on the on-ramp to the West Side Highway at 79th Street. Excellent viewing of the nest and their activity is available inside the Park at about 80th Street. Some believe that the female may be the offspring of New York’s most famous red-tailed hawks, Lola and Pale Male. These beautiful birds have a wing span of 45 to 52 inches when mature.
Riverside Park Fund is inviting all birders and nature lovers to create a name for the hawks. Help us bring much-needed attention to these birds who’ve built their home in such a heavily-trafficked area. Raising awareness of the hawks is important for them to prosper in their urban home, and naming them is the first step!
Entries will be judged by a panel of birding and urban nature experts including Glenn Phillips, Executive Director of New York City Audubon, and Leslie Day, author of Field Guide to the Natural World of New York City. Winners will be announced in early April by Riverside Park Fund.
To enter, please e-mail your name, address, telephone number and hawk names to hawks@riversideparkfund.org by March 31st!
Posted: Wednesday, March 12, 2008