Miracle on Broadway: a family of hawks built a nest in the middle of New York

The habitat of birds of prey is getting smaller every year. Because of this, birds are forced to build their nests in close proximity to humans. So, in the center of New York, near the window of a residential apartment, hawks built their nest. Writes about it "Voice of America".

In one of the noisiest sections of Broadway - the main and busiest artery of New York, buses puff, sirens howl, cars honk, and people's voices are in the air. But if you listen, raising your head to the sky, you can catch a new cry of birds of prey, unusual for the bustle of the city.

“I have never, never seen anything like it before - it only started in the last 5-10 years, when we started noticing the return of wild birds to New York. And I certainly never thought that this comeback would include a predator like the red-tailed hawk, ”says Michael Palma Mir.

When Michael was little - and he was born here on Broadway - all the diversity of the fauna of the streets boiled down to cockroaches, pigeons and rats. When he grew up, he became an activist: he arranged tree planting companies (now there are many of them here), advocated for water purification in the neighboring Hudson, while very much hoping that the city around him would turn into a more welcoming environment, at least for people.

Despite his enthusiasm, he could not even imagine, being a theater photographer far from ornithology, that the fire escape right in front of his window would suddenly become home for a family of wild hawks.

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“In early March,” recalls Michael, “I heard someone pecking at my window, and I couldn't figure out what it was. I stuck my head out of the window to look, and saw a red-tailed hawk sitting right in front of me, on the fire escape. Huge bird! I got excited and went looking for my telephoto camera. I came back, took a picture once, tore my face away from the camera and at the same moment saw her diving from above right at me! I barely had time to shove my head into the apartment and shut the window. I thought: wow, I'll never see him this close again. But at least I have one good photo! "

But the hawks - there were two of them - remained. And then Michael decided to listen to the advice of experts: while the birds were looking for food, he established nests. Very soon chicks appeared in them. They began to observe the life of the birds through small video cameras, and in order not to frighten off the guests, attempts of unsafe communication stopped.

“There are only versions of why they built a nest on Broadway. First, there is a lot of food around - pigeons and rats. Secondly, from the fire escape, everything is clearly visible in all directions. Well, plus the house itself behind the nest as a reliable protection from the harsh winds, ”Michael Palma Mir shares his thoughts.

The entire Broadway area was very excited and closely watched the unusual neighbors. In the shortest possible time, photos and videos from Michael's security cameras (by the way, they can be viewed here), as well as bystanders, began to gain millions of views around the world. It became a real sensation on the Internet.

“This is the first time I see this bird here! Yes, there is also a nest! Isn't it cool !? ”, - a passer-by, throwing his head up, shares his delight from what he saw.

“I think they feel a place where they are safe. They usually have well-developed instincts! " - says on the move another resident of the area, daily observing the picture on the fire escape.

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Michael Palma Mir says that this story was not without drama: “Recently I did something stupid. At home, I heard someone on the street below screaming for help. And instinctively he rushed to the window to see what was happening, to help or call the police. And I was completely disconnected from what was happening on my fire escape. Less than three seconds later, the bird struck me with its claws right in the back of the head. It was my fault. I touched my head and realized that I was bleeding. I got to the hospital, where they gave me a tetanus shot and put two stitches on my head. "

Cohabitation with the hawks became so personal and emotional for Michael that he gave the bird parents the names of his recently departed mom and dad: Lilly and Billy. Now they are raising one chick, the second did not survive. Their roles are clearly divided - Lilly does not leave the already fluffy baby, Billy brings food and aggressively monitors the safety of the nest. At the end of June, the chick should start learning to fly, and the family will probably fly away in July.

Michael, not without sadness, promises not to touch the nest, because sometimes the hawks return: “For me and for many people living here, the pandemic was a very difficult test. It was my area that was the hardest hit in Manhattan, with the most deaths. Fifteen people died on my street alone, in honor of whom candles are now burning everywhere here. And therefore, for many of us, the fact that a family of hawks landed here and bore offspring is like a symbol of continuing life. It’s like a sign for all of us that the future always has a good chance. ”