Pigeons, check. Blackbirds, check. Blue tits, check. Hawks? Surely not! You'd be forgiven for thinking that large birds of prey would avoid one of the busiest spots in New York, but red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) have made themselves right at home in the huge park frequented by locals and tourists alike.
Central Park includes 843 acres of parkland and is the most visited urban park in the US, with around 42 million people visiting annually. The park is also home to many species of flora and fauna, with certain areas – such as The Ramble – attracting hundreds of species of birds.
The red-tailed hawk is a common bird of prey in America, but it wasn't until the 1990s that it began to be recorded in Central Park.
One of the first spotted was given the name Pale Male, by birdwatcher and naturalist Marie Winn, because of the light colour of his head. He nested on a nearby building – one of the first red-tailed hawks ever to have been spotted doing this – and he is in part responsible for the Central Park population of red-tailed hawks. It is estimated that he fathered around 30 chicks in his lifetime.
Pale Male arrived in 1991 as a one-year-old but his journey from a young bird to a grown adult mate was not a simple one and showed just how dangerous urban life can be for these birds. During the decade after his arrival, Pale Male took several mates, but many of them died due to poisoning, including First Love - his first mate, who ate a poisoned pigeon - and Lima, who was responsible for two baby hawks with Pale Male in 2011.
The attention that the hawk deaths garnered helped the banning of the bird poison Avitrol in New York in 2000. But it wasn't just this that caught the attention of twitchers and bird fanatics in the city. In 2004, authorities decided to remove the anti-pigeon spikes that had anchored the hawks' nest, because of concerns about debris falling to the street. After an outcry and protests, the spikes were replaced along with a new 'cradle' for the nest.
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It is believed that Pale Male died in 2023, although some think that this could have been earlier, and another similar bird with light feathers replaced him.
Red-tailed hawk facts
- These raptors are from the Buteo genus.
- Females red-tailed hawks can weigh up to 1.6kg.
- They mate for life, taking a new mate only when the other dies.
- They usually occupy the same territory each year.
- In New York, the hawks provide free pest control for the city, as they eat mice and rats, but the use of rat poison in areas where the hawks nest is a problem. Authorities have worked to cut down the use of poison since their arrival in the city.
- Both males and females incubate the eggs, which take around a month to hatch.
- While it typically cruises at speeds of up to 64kph (40mph), the red-tailed hawk is capable of hitting an impressive 190kmh (120mph) during a steep hunting stoop.
- Red-tailed hawks often crash into windows that reflect sky or trees. Putting stickers on windows can help stop this.
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The best time to see red-tailed hawks in New York
In 2007, a study reported that there were pairs of red-tailed hawks breeding in nests in 32 locations across all 5 boroughs around the city, and there have been around 10 active red-tailed hawk nests in Manhattan each year. In 2011, Bobby and Violet's nest at New York University was streamed via a webcam and watched worldwide.
Early March is when mating season begins, and is a great time to see them performing aerial courtship displays. These displays sometimes involve the pair locking talons mid-air and spiralling towards the ground. In early April, it's nesting season, with females laying 1–5 eggs. They have been found to nest on trees or buildings around 4–21m off the ground.
Red-tailed hawks in popular culture
- Red-tails in Love by Marie Winn (book)
- The Legend of Pale Male by Frederic Lilien (film)
- Down Here Below by Steve Earle (song that references Pale Male)
- City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male by Megham McCarthy
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