Category: Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

New York Athletic Club

New came in today of a newly discovered nest by Melissa Armo. It’s on the New York Athletic Club’s sixth floor. The building is on the Southeast corner of Central Park South and Seventh Avenue. The northern façade has two shields and the nest is behind the left (western) one. The nest needs to be viewed from the side. I was able to photograph it from the east and the west.

A parent came to the nest when I was viewing the nest around 5 pm. There are two, possibly three eyasses on the nest. It will take a few more trips to be sure.

927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, San Remo/Pinetum Red-tailed Hawks, Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks, St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks, TCC/MCNY Red-tailed Hawks

Central Park Area Hawks

I was away for ten days, so I’ve checked up on the nesting Central Park Hawks plus St. John the Divine over the last few days.

  • It looks like The Ritz-Carlton nest may have failed on Central Park South. I haven’t seen anyone on the nest in a few visits, but saw the female spend an hour on a ledge two floors below the nest. She spent at least 45 minutes there.
  • The San Remo pair, that is now nesting in a tree continues to brood south of the swings in the Pinetum.
  • The TCC nest at 105th and Fifth, continues to brood. Pictures of a recent visit are below.
  • The St. John the Divine pair appears to have moved the nest to a Columbia dorm, John Jay Hall.
Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Central Park South

Watching the Ritz-Carlton nest has been a bit slow as I mostly see the female sitting on the nest but I was surprised on Monday to see a Peregrine Falcon on the Pierre Hotel and the GM Building. It explains why I don’t see the Red-tailed Hawks perched high on these buildings anymore. The male hawk was in a tree by Chess and Checkers.

Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Ritz-Carlton Exchange

Tonight, I arrived just in time to see but not photograph the male bring a small rodent to the female. She went off to eat it quickly. While she was eating the male went to the nest twice. Then they both returned to the nest, before making a trip to the top of the Ritz-Carton together. The female then returned to the nest. This all took about ten minutes.

Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Rodent Snack For The Ritz-Carlton Female

I watched the Ritz-Carlton nest on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, not much happened between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

So, on Friday I visited around 4 pm. When I arrived, the male was circling ear the nest with a small rodent, which could either have been a mouse or a small rat. Somewhat comically, two Rock Pigeons were chasing him for a few minutes. He dropped the rat off, but didn’t stay on the nest. He just left.

The female then left the nest with the rodent, went three buildings to the west, and ate it. She returned to the nest within ten minutes.

(This is typical behavior. To keep the nest clean, the female will almost always eat off the nest. And I’m not surprised the male didn’t stay and incubate the eggs. I’ve seen it take a few days for an inexperienced male to understand his “duties”.)

After she returned to the nest, we found the male in a high tree in the Hallett Nature Sanctuary. The Bluejays found him and after ignoring their abuse he flew west.