Now that three out of the four falcon eggs have hatched on a ledge high above City Hall, Mayor Chuck Reed has announced the launch of this year’s falcon naming contest. As with every year, the contest is open to city residents ages 5 to 18. Entries will be selected on the basis of the creativity of the names, the quality of the accompanying material, whether an essay or artwork, and how the names best represent the falcon’s lifestyle in downtown San Jose.
Entries can be sent by email to: [email protected]. Or, submissions can be sent by snail mail to: Falcon Naming c/o Mayor’s Office, 200 E. Santa Clara St., 18th Floor, San José, CA 95113. Carrier pigeons are not allowed because they may end up as the falcons’ dinner.
So let your creative juices flow and get your kids into the act. The winners, to be announced on May 6, will receive a commendation from the Mayor, two free passes to the Happy Hollow Zoo, and a school assembly featuring University of California Santa Cruz biologist Glenn Stewart, the man who tends to the falcons.
If you want to actually see the chicks before picking out the right name for them, check out the webcam at the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group website.
