Baby falcon born on San Jose City Hall crashes into building, dies

Mercury News ^ | 6/17/08 | Lisa Fernandez

[NormsRevenge]

A peregrine falcon named Cielo has died after the 2-month-old bird likely crashed into San Jose City Hall where she and her family have been living on a ledge. She is believed to have died late Monday night or early Tuesday morning after being driven to an animal hospital that specializes in birds on Monday morning.

Cielo's siblings, Meyye and Mercury, are alive and well.

In fact, her sister and brother, respectively, are flying about, and expected to leave the nest - literally - sometime this summer.

The falcon family has drawn widespread interest from bird watchers throughout the world who frequently peer into these once-endangered birds' lives via a webcam stationed at city hall and administered through the University of California-Santa Cruz.

"Cielo will be remembered fondly by the nearly 2,000 fans who gather online on the City Hall Falcon newsgroup," mayoral spokeswoman Michelle McGurk wrote in a bulletin alerting folks of the bird's untimely demise.

The three peregrine falcons, born to parents Clara and Carlos on April 22, were recently named in a contest sponsored by Mayor Chuck Reed whose office announced the winners in late May. Coincidentally, the ceremony to honor the three school children who named the birds was scheduled for tonight.

[Hot Tabasco]

Here's an osprey who flies over our neighborhood lake every Friday. Why just Friday? Who knows?

Great picture!

I suspect it's on a 4 day work week and lives out of state so its heading home for the weekend..........

[Brainhose]

She knew the way to City Hall.
Survival of the fittest ping.

[coop71]

I’d never heard of a sparrow hawk so I had to Google it. They’re beautiful...but they look mean! I can’t believe you guys caught one - that takes guts...and a high pain tolerance, apparently.

[coop71]

Thanks. I haven’t heard it’s call, so I don’t know if it’s southern or a Yankee. Hardy har har.

It shows up at 1:00, too, just to add to the weirdness. Even more funny, one recent Friday the osprey showed up, then an osprey (CV-22) flew over us. It was all too much for me, my camera and my kid.

[martin_fierro]

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[Flycatcher]

Yes, the name sparrow hawk is a colloquialism that in America used to mean either the American kestrel (a falcon) or the sharp-shinned hawk (an accipiter). Funny story: about six months ago, my coworkers and I heard a screaming commotion outside the window. We went out and found a kestrel ripping into a freshly caught northern rough-winged swallow while other swallows screamed and circled about. I kept a swallow feather and taped it to my computer to remind me that it really is a bird-eat-bird world out there. (And I'm glad I'm not a bird, despite my handle!)

[coop71]

I had no idea! Thanks for the info. And yes, it is a bird-eat-bird world out there. :)

[TexasNative2000]

Just goes to show you - you can never beat City Hall.

[Hot Tabasco]

a bird-eat-bird world

My bird feeders appear to be the drive-thru equivalent for the area hawks. Literally every morning I see feathers on the lawn but no carcasses.........

I know from observation that there are several red-tail hawks, an American Kestrel and what I thought to be a Sharp Shinned hawk that was inhabiting my drive-thru was more likely a Coopers Hawk........

A number of years ago when I lived in an apartment, I was walking the back walkway to the parking lot when Coopers Hawk swooped by me and when I turned around I watched him grab a dove which was literally 40 ft. from me and then fly off with it. Another time I was at a golf driving range and watched as a Red Tail hawk drop straight out of the sky onto a robin that was about 50 yards out in front of me.......

Nature is cruel and cool........

[Flycatcher]

My bird feeders appear to be the drive-thru equivalent for the area hawks

Funny you should say that. Most people who first put up a backyard bird feeder soon discover (to their horror) that it's a death trap for songbirds. But that's nature. To a house finch, a backyard feeder is a restaurant of birdseed. And to a Cooper's or sharp-shinned hawk, a house finch is dinner. :)