Pale Male
Encyclopedia
Pale Male is a well known New York City
Red-tailed Hawk
who has made his home since the early 1990s near Central Park
. Birdwatcher and author Marie Winn
gave him his name because of the unusually light coloring of his head. He is one of the first Red-tailed Hawks known to have nested on a building rather than in a tree and is famous for establishing a dynasty of urban-dwelling Red-tailed Hawks. Each spring birders set up telescopes at the Model Boat Pond to observe his nest and chicks at 927 Fifth Avenue.
in 1991, as a first-year immature hawk, Pale Male tried to nest in a tree, but he was driven off by crows. He later roosted on a building on Fifth Avenue across the street from the park. In early 1992, he found a mate, dubbed First Love. First Love was injured later that year and removed to the Raptor Trust
in New Jersey. During her absence, Pale Male took another mate, called Chocolate by birdwatchers. After several unsuccessful spring nesting attempts, Pale Male and a mate, possibly Chocolate, hatched 3 eyasses in 1995. The eyasses survived to young adulthood and took up residence in Central Park. Chocolate died later that year from injuries from a collison with a car on the New Jersey turnpike.
First Love returned to Central Park after being banded and released from the Raptor Trust. She and Pale Male reunited and raised several eyases. People in the park waited months to see the eyasses grow and then take their first flights. Pale Male was a good father, bringing food to his offspring about five times each day. In 1997, First Love died after eating a poisoned pigeon in Central Park.
Pale Male's mate from 1998 to 2001 was a hawk known as Blue. The pair were observed to hatch about 11 eyasses in that period. Blue disappeared about the time of the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001.
In early 2002, Pale Male was first observed with a new mate, Lola. They raised 7 eyasses between 2002 and 2004, building a nest on ornamental stonework above a top-story window on a residential housing cooperative
at 927 Fifth Avenue
(at East 74th Street) on the Upper East Side
of Manhattan
. Lola disappeared in December 2010 and is presumed dead.
A new mate appeared in early January 2011. This new hawk, with the moniker "Ginger," because of her dark feathers on her neck and chin, is only in her second year. She is a young adult, with still-yellow irises, indicating her exact age. This will be her first nesting attempt, in the winter and spring of 2011 using the existing nest. As in previous years with earlier females, Ginger should lay her first egg sometime in the last two weeks of March, with hatching (it is hoped) about a month later. Up to three eggs may be produced, although first-time nesting Red-tailed Hawks often lay only one or two eggs.
, a resident of the building, also participated in the protests. On December 14, 2004, the building, various city agencies, and the Audubon Society came to an agreement to replace the spikes and to install a new "cradle" for the nest. On the same day, Lincoln Karim, one of the leading protesters, was arrested for allegedly harassing the family of Richard Cohen, including his wife, CNN
news anchor Paula Zahn. These charges were subsequently dismissed. By December 28, 2004, the scaffolding had been removed and the hawks started bringing twigs to the nest site.
However, eggs laid by Lola in March 2005 did not hatch, and in fact Pale Male and Lola did not hatch any new eyasses since the disturbance of their original nest. A panel of experts assembled by the Audubon Society reviewed the photos taken of the interior of the nest on January 4, 2008, and recommended the removal of stainless steel spikes seen protruding through the bowl of the nest. The spikes impede the rolling of the eggs by the female during incubation. The Audubon Society obtained the support and approvals of municipal agencies and property owners to have the 92 spikes removed from the cradle supporting the nest.
Although news reports in early summer 2006 suggested that Pale Male and Lola had given up on their Fifth Avenue nest in favor of a location on the Beresford
apartments across the park on Central Park West
, this was not the case. The hawks regularly perched on the Beresford and may have roosted there at night, but they continued to return to the Fifth Avenue location during nesting season.
in 2005 and successfully raised two eyasses. In 2007, they moved their nest to a building on Seventh Avenue at 57th Street (two blocks south of the park) and raised one eyass. Junior and Charlotte may often be found in the vicinity of the Time Warner Center
on Columbus Circle
, at the southwest corner of the park. Junior's first attempt at nesting on Trump Park was in March 2002. This was with a different female and all attempts at the site failed until his success in 2005.
A hawk couple known as Tristan and Isolde claimed Central Park's Great Hill and North Wood as their territory, but their nest was located about four blocks from the park at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, overlooking Morningside Park. They successfully raised two eyasses in 2006 and three in 2007.
The Central Park Christmas Bird Count
held December 17, 2006, determined that there were probably ten Red-tailed Hawks in the park that day, but it was expected that the extra four hawks would be driven off once the 2007 mating season began. It is common for two or three immature Red-tails, and sometimes an unattached adult, to winter in the park before departing in the spring.
In recent years, many more Red-tailed Hawks have taken up residence in New York City. A 2007 study commissioned by the Audubon Society reported that pairs of Red-tails were spotted breeding in nests at 32 locations throughout the city, and hawk watchers say they have spotted dozens of unattached Red-tails across the five boroughs. Relatively small green spaces about the city, such as the main Columbia University
campus, or Riverside Park
, may attract a transient hawk who stays for a few days or months.
by Frederic Lilien was completed in April 2009.
Alt-Country singer Steve Earle
references Pale Male in his song "Down Here Below", from the 2007 album Washington Square Serenade
.
Pale Male (or at least a puppet of him) has made several appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
where he played various instruments with The Max Weinberg 7
At least three children's illustrated books about Pale Male have been published, including:
The Tale of Pale Male: a True Story, by Jeanette Winter (Harcourt, 2007);
City Hawk: the Story of Pale Male, by Meghan McCarthy (Simon & Schuster, 2007); and
Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City, by Janet Schulman (Knopf, 2008)
Pale Male is the mascot of P.S. 6, an elementary school at the Upper East Side, Manhattan.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
who has made his home since the early 1990s near Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. Birdwatcher and author Marie Winn
Marie Winn
Marie Winn, a journalist, author and birdwatcher, is known for her books and articles on the birds of Central Park, her Wall Street Journal ornithology column and her role in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s...
gave him his name because of the unusually light coloring of his head. He is one of the first Red-tailed Hawks known to have nested on a building rather than in a tree and is famous for establishing a dynasty of urban-dwelling Red-tailed Hawks. Each spring birders set up telescopes at the Model Boat Pond to observe his nest and chicks at 927 Fifth Avenue.
Chronology
When he arrived in Central ParkCentral Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in 1991, as a first-year immature hawk, Pale Male tried to nest in a tree, but he was driven off by crows. He later roosted on a building on Fifth Avenue across the street from the park. In early 1992, he found a mate, dubbed First Love. First Love was injured later that year and removed to the Raptor Trust
The Raptor Trust
The Raptor Trust is a wild bird rehabilitation center located in Millington, New Jersey, United States and surrounded by the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.-History:...
in New Jersey. During her absence, Pale Male took another mate, called Chocolate by birdwatchers. After several unsuccessful spring nesting attempts, Pale Male and a mate, possibly Chocolate, hatched 3 eyasses in 1995. The eyasses survived to young adulthood and took up residence in Central Park. Chocolate died later that year from injuries from a collison with a car on the New Jersey turnpike.
First Love returned to Central Park after being banded and released from the Raptor Trust. She and Pale Male reunited and raised several eyases. People in the park waited months to see the eyasses grow and then take their first flights. Pale Male was a good father, bringing food to his offspring about five times each day. In 1997, First Love died after eating a poisoned pigeon in Central Park.
Pale Male's mate from 1998 to 2001 was a hawk known as Blue. The pair were observed to hatch about 11 eyasses in that period. Blue disappeared about the time of the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001.
In early 2002, Pale Male was first observed with a new mate, Lola. They raised 7 eyasses between 2002 and 2004, building a nest on ornamental stonework above a top-story window on a residential housing cooperative
Housing cooperative
A housing cooperative is a legal entity—usually a corporation—that owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit, sometimes subject to an occupancy agreement, which is similar to a lease. ...
at 927 Fifth Avenue
927 Fifth Avenue
927 Fifth Avenue is an upscale residential apartment building in Manhattan, New York City. It is located on Fifth Avenue at the corner of East 74th Street opposite the Model Sailboat Pond in Central Park...
(at East 74th Street) on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Lola disappeared in December 2010 and is presumed dead.
A new mate appeared in early January 2011. This new hawk, with the moniker "Ginger," because of her dark feathers on her neck and chin, is only in her second year. She is a young adult, with still-yellow irises, indicating her exact age. This will be her first nesting attempt, in the winter and spring of 2011 using the existing nest. As in previous years with earlier females, Ginger should lay her first egg sometime in the last two weeks of March, with hatching (it is hoped) about a month later. Up to three eggs may be produced, although first-time nesting Red-tailed Hawks often lay only one or two eggs.
Nest controversy
In December 2004, the hawks' nest and the anti-pigeon spikes that had long anchored it were removed by the board of the co-op. The removal caused an international outcry and a series of impassioned protests organized by New York City Audubon Society and the Central Park birding community. Mary Tyler MooreMary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore is an American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show , in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as...
, a resident of the building, also participated in the protests. On December 14, 2004, the building, various city agencies, and the Audubon Society came to an agreement to replace the spikes and to install a new "cradle" for the nest. On the same day, Lincoln Karim, one of the leading protesters, was arrested for allegedly harassing the family of Richard Cohen, including his wife, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
news anchor Paula Zahn. These charges were subsequently dismissed. By December 28, 2004, the scaffolding had been removed and the hawks started bringing twigs to the nest site.
However, eggs laid by Lola in March 2005 did not hatch, and in fact Pale Male and Lola did not hatch any new eyasses since the disturbance of their original nest. A panel of experts assembled by the Audubon Society reviewed the photos taken of the interior of the nest on January 4, 2008, and recommended the removal of stainless steel spikes seen protruding through the bowl of the nest. The spikes impede the rolling of the eggs by the female during incubation. The Audubon Society obtained the support and approvals of municipal agencies and property owners to have the 92 spikes removed from the cradle supporting the nest.
Although news reports in early summer 2006 suggested that Pale Male and Lola had given up on their Fifth Avenue nest in favor of a location on the Beresford
The Beresford
The Beresford, at 211 Central Park West, between 81st and 82nd Streets, is an upscale, 23-floor apartment building in New York City. The architect, Emery Roth, was famous for building luxury apartments and hotels throughout the city...
apartments across the park on Central Park West
Central Park West
Central Park West is an avenue that runs north-south in the New York City borough of Manhattan, in the United States....
, this was not the case. The hawks regularly perched on the Beresford and may have roosted there at night, but they continued to return to the Fifth Avenue location during nesting season.
Other red-tailed hawks in and around Central Park
At the south end of the park, a hawk couple dubbed Pale Male Junior (or just Junior) and Charlotte nested on the Trump Park hotel on Central Park SouthCentral Park South
Central Park South is the portion of 59th Street that forms the southern border of Central Park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It runs from Columbus Circle at Eighth Avenue on the west to Grand Army Plaza at Fifth Avenue on the east...
in 2005 and successfully raised two eyasses. In 2007, they moved their nest to a building on Seventh Avenue at 57th Street (two blocks south of the park) and raised one eyass. Junior and Charlotte may often be found in the vicinity of the Time Warner Center
Time Warner Center
The Time Warner Center is a mixed-use skyscraper developed by AREA Property Partners and The Related Companies in New York City. Its design, by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, consists of two 750 ft towers bridged by a multi-story atrium containing upscale retail shops...
on Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle, named for Christopher Columbus, is a major landmark and point of attraction in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located at the intersection of Eighth Avenue, Broadway, Central Park South , and Central Park West, at the southwest corner of Central Park. It is the point from...
, at the southwest corner of the park. Junior's first attempt at nesting on Trump Park was in March 2002. This was with a different female and all attempts at the site failed until his success in 2005.
A hawk couple known as Tristan and Isolde claimed Central Park's Great Hill and North Wood as their territory, but their nest was located about four blocks from the park at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, overlooking Morningside Park. They successfully raised two eyasses in 2006 and three in 2007.
The Central Park Christmas Bird Count
Christmas Bird Count
The Christmas Bird Count is a census of birds in the Western Hemisphere, performed annually in the early Northern-hemisphere winter by volunteer birders...
held December 17, 2006, determined that there were probably ten Red-tailed Hawks in the park that day, but it was expected that the extra four hawks would be driven off once the 2007 mating season began. It is common for two or three immature Red-tails, and sometimes an unattached adult, to winter in the park before departing in the spring.
In recent years, many more Red-tailed Hawks have taken up residence in New York City. A 2007 study commissioned by the Audubon Society reported that pairs of Red-tails were spotted breeding in nests at 32 locations throughout the city, and hawk watchers say they have spotted dozens of unattached Red-tails across the five boroughs. Relatively small green spaces about the city, such as the main Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
campus, or Riverside Park
Riverside Park (Manhattan)
Riverside Park is a scenic waterfront public park on the Upper West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The park consists of a narrow four-mile strip of land between the Hudson River and the gently...
, may attract a transient hawk who stays for a few days or months.
In popular culture
"Pale Male," a one hour documentary by filmmaker Frederic Lilien aired on NATURE - WNET in 2004. A feature documentary called The Legend of Pale MaleThe Legend of Pale Male
The Legend of Pale Male is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Frederic Lilien. It tells the story of Pale Male, a red-tailed hawk nesting near Central Park in New York City....
by Frederic Lilien was completed in April 2009.
Alt-Country singer Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
references Pale Male in his song "Down Here Below", from the 2007 album Washington Square Serenade
Washington Square Serenade
Washington Square Serenade is an album by alternative country singer Steve Earle. The album features the singer's wife, Allison Moorer on the track "Days Aren't Long Enough," and the Brazilian group Forro in the Dark on the track "City of Immigrants." The track "Way Down in the Hole," by Tom...
.
Pale Male (or at least a puppet of him) has made several appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
where he played various instruments with The Max Weinberg 7
At least three children's illustrated books about Pale Male have been published, including:
The Tale of Pale Male: a True Story, by Jeanette Winter (Harcourt, 2007);
City Hawk: the Story of Pale Male, by Meghan McCarthy (Simon & Schuster, 2007); and
Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City, by Janet Schulman (Knopf, 2008)
Pale Male is the mascot of P.S. 6, an elementary school at the Upper East Side, Manhattan.
Further reading
- Marie WinnMarie WinnMarie Winn, a journalist, author and birdwatcher, is known for her books and articles on the birds of Central Park, her Wall Street Journal ornithology column and her role in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s...
. Red-tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. New York: Vintage, 1999. ISBN 0-679-75846-1. - Thomas J. Lueck. "New York Celebrities Evicted on Fifth Ave., Feathers and All". The New York Times. December 8, 2004.
- Thomas J. Lueck and Jennifer 8. LeeJennifer 8. LeeJennifer 8. Lee is an American journalist. She has written for various sections of The New York Times for several years.- Early life and career :...
. "No Fighting the Co-op Board, Even With Talons". The New York Times. December 11, 2004. - Jennifer 8. LeeJennifer 8. LeeJennifer 8. Lee is an American journalist. She has written for various sections of The New York Times for several years.- Early life and career :...
. "As Hawks Circle, All Sides Seek Compromise". The New York Times. December 12, 2004. - Thomas J. Lueck. "Birds' Nest Will Be Saved, if Co-op Architect Says Yes". The New York Times. December 14, 2004.
- Thomas J. Lueck. "Co-op to Help Hawks Rebuild, but the Street Is Still Restless". The New York Times. December 15, 2004.
- Peri McQuay. A Wing in the Door: Life With A Red-tailed Hawk. New York: Milkweed, 2001. ISBN 1-57131-239-0
- Jeanette Winter. The Tale of Pale Male: A True Story. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2007. ISBN 978-0-15-205972-9. (Children's nonfiction picture book)