 Pale Male eating a pigeon in 2011 | |
| Species | Buteo jamaicensis |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Hatched | 1990 |
| Died | May 16, 2023 (aged 32–33) Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Nation from | United States |
| Known for | Nesting on 927 Fifth Avenue |
| Mate(s) |
|
Pale Male (1990 – May 16, 2023), or Palemale, was a red-tailed hawk that resided in and near New York City's Central Park from the 1990s until 2023. Birdwatcher and author Marie Winn gave him his name because of the unusually light coloring of his head. He was one of the first red-tailed hawks known to have nested on a building rather than in a tree and is known for establishing a dynasty of urban-dwelling red-tailed hawks.
Each spring, bird watchers would set up telescopes alongside Central Park's Model Boat Pond to observe his nest and chicks at 927 Fifth Avenue. Although it was suggested over the years that Pale Male could have died and been replaced by a similarly colored bird without the change being observed, there was no strong evidence to confirm or deny this possibility.[2]
- ^ Barron, James (February 27, 2012). "Pale Male's Mate Lima Is Found Dead in Central Park". City Room (blog). The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
- ^ Finger, Corey (February 9, 2015). "Pale Male is Dead: Long Live Pale Male!". 10,000 Birds. Retrieved February 26, 2020.