[audubon-news] Removal of Famed Bird's Nest Shocks New York and Nation

From: "BIANCHI, John" <JBIANCHI@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 16:26:44 -0500
        THE REMOVAL OF "PALE MALE'S" NEST SHOCKS NEW YORK

        City, State, and National Organizations Call for Action to Correct the 
Loss

        New York City, NY, Thursday, December 9, 2004 - For more than 10 years, 
residents of New York City have been dazzled and awed by a resident Red-Tailed 
Hawk.  Named Pale Male by his numerous faithful followers, this hawk had been 
living atop a 5th Avenue apartment that overlooks Central Park until yesterday, 
when his nest was removed by the building.

        "Destroying this nest has shown incredible insensitivity to "Pale 
Male's" place in New York's heart" said John Flicker, president of the National 
Audubon Society.  "Pale Male is a gift from nature, and even 5th Avenue 
apartment owners can help protect our great natural heritage."

        "This is an affront to the thousands who value this bird and its nest," 
exclaimed David Miller, executive director of Audubon New York, the state 
program of the National Audubon Society.  "Pale Male was a New York 
institution.  The removal of this nest has destroyed an important connection 
between the people of this city and nature.  Audubon's first and foremost 
priority is to find a solution so Pale Male and his family remain in New York 
City."  Audubon New York is currently circulating a petition at www.audubon.org 
<http://www.audubon.org> to get the nest returned to its location or barring 
that, to have the spikes re-installed upon which the birds built their nest.

        The subject of a PBS Nature documentary entitled "Pale Male," and a 
best-selling book, "Red Tails in Love," Pale Male is a Bona Fide star.  His 
yearly raising of chicks has attracted tens of thousands of birders to the 
Eastern edge of Central Park, many of whom are tourists from other states and 
nations.  Audubon New York runs For the Birds!, a school-based program that 
teaches students about science, nature, and the environment through the study 
of birds, and Pale Male's story is shared in classrooms throughout the city.  
The Pale Male saga has inspired communities nationwide by its example of nature 
and humans living together in an urban environment.

        "Pale Male is an ambassador of the wild in New York City," said E.J. 
McAdams, executive director of the New York City Audubon Society, the 10,000 
member local chapter of the National Audubon Society.  "Pale Male provided city 
residents a one of a kind opportunity to observe bird behavior first hand from 
feeding their young to teaching them how to fly, and we would like to see the 
building have a change of heart and re-install the spikes upon which the birds 
have built their nests for the past decade."  Added McAdams.  

        The Audubon Society is holding a press conference and a vigil this 
evening, Thursday, December 9th, at 4:30 pm on the Park Side of 5th Avenue and 
74th Street.

        Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the 
habitat that supports them.  Our national network of community-based nature 
centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on 
behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of 
people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.

        #   #   #


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[audubon-news] Removal of Famed Bird's Nest Shocks New York and Nation

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