Ok, so I must amend this entry.

It apparently was NOT some nouveau riche jerk who removed the hawk's nest from 927 Fifth Avenue. It was the coop board. They have wanted to remove the nest for quite some time, but Pale Male and his mate, Lola, were protected under a federal environmental treaty that "was intended to protect the habitats of several species of migratory birds, including red-tailed hawks, from poachers who sought birds for food or for their feathers."(NYTimes, Saturday, December 11, 2004.) A loop hole in the form of a 'clarification' to the treaty came in April of 2003, saying that the ban on nest removal did not apply if the nest was not being used to hatch or raise offspring.

A spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Service, which approved the removal of the nest, said that "we had no knowledge that this was a famous pair of birds."(NY Times, Saturday, December 11, 2004.)

Duh.

I guess they don't know about the web site, award-winning documentary, or the book about these hawks who have been nesting on the ledge of 927 Fifth Ave. for about 10 years.

You can help by contacting the New York City Audobon Society or visiting their web site and clicking on the "take action/local issues" tab. There is a petition to sign, and the address of the coop board .

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