Bobby Horvath, reported last night the news on the WINORR Facebook page the passing of Pale Male, the 33 year old Red-tailed Hawk who brought so much joy to New Yorkers over the years.

His nesting with multiple partners at 927 Fifth Avenue, gave thousands of New Yorker’s a front row seat to watch and study the behavior of an incredible species. He taught New Yorker’s that you didn’t need to go to a national park to watch nature, but that you just had to walk a few blocks.

A reporter left a voice mail for me this morning asking me what Pale Male’s legacy was, a very tough question.

I think his biggest legacy is that he taught New Yorkers, that despite man’s efforts to control the landscape of the city, nature still thrives here and needs to be respected and nurtured. For New York City birds, this means nests need to be protected, poisons controlled, buildings built with bird friendly designs, glass and lighting, and funding provided for Wildlife Rehabilitators.

Pale Male inspired hundreds of New Yorker’s to become conservationists, and to work to protect wildlife not only in rural areas, but in their own zip codes. That work lives on today, with vibrant organizations such as New York City Audubon, the Wild Bird Fund and WINORR.

If you want to remember Pale Male, respect his legacy by supporting the efforts of these organizations.