Red-Tailed Hawks at NYU
Hawk Cam: Live from the Nest
Bobby is back with a new partner - Rosie - and they're on the nest this spring!
Keep an eye on the Hawkcam as the grand pageant of nature plays out once again right here in the city. The hawks entertained over 8 million viewers in 2011.
About the hawks
NYU is committed to protecting biodiversity — for its own merit, and to enhance our pedagogical mission to educate students and engage the public. When Bobby and Violet, a pair of red-tailed hawks, made their home on the windowsill outside President John Sexton’s office on the 12th floor of Bobst Library, they took the city by storm.
Millions watched the “Hawkcam” video streaming live on the internet, witnessing these intensely beautiful and sophisticated creatures as they built a nest, laid eggs, and successfully hatched and fledged offspring - only to experience sorrow first-hand as Violet passed away after being captured by authorities for emergency surgery for a prior leg injury.
The red-tailed hawks are just one example of urban biodiversity. Just look at the dozens of street tree species, butterflies and honeybees pollinating flowerbeds, and indigenous landscaping on green rooftops and courtyards. Nature is itself “in and of the city,” and NYU is striving to better integrate biodiversity into its building design, landscaping and other practices for a more holistic approach to environmental decision-making.
Be sure to keep up with the live footage of Bobby and Violet at the NYU Sustainability / New York Times City Room blog—and don't forget to like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter!
Updates
- Jun 23 · NYT City Room: Hawk Cam | Pip's First Flight
- Jun 21 · NYT: Pip the Hawk: This Is Your Life
- May 24 · NYT City Room: Hawk Cam | Pip Goes for a Walk
- May 17 · NYT City Room: Hawk Cam | The Christening
- May 15 · NYT: Hawk, Man and Webcam
- May 13 · WNYC The Brian Lehrer Show: Following Up: The Hawk Cam and Violet's Health
- May 12 · NYT City Room: Hawk Cam | Rescue on the Ledge
- May 11 · NYU Steinhard At a Glance: On the Eve of Violet's Rescue, A Teaching Moment at NYU Steinhardt
- May 11 · NYT City Room: Hawk Cam | Rescue of Violet Is Planned for Thursday
- May 10 · NYT City Room: Hawk Cam | Expect No Baby Hawk Siblings (Probably)
- May 10 · CNN In the Arena: NYU's John Sexton: To see hawks' nest outside his office window is 'transcendent'
- May 7 · NYT: Hawk and Hatchling Have Wide Audience, and a New Threat in an ID Tag
- May 7 · NYT City Room: Hawk Cam | Updates From the Nest | A Plan to Try to Save Violet
- May 7 · Village Voice Runnin' Scared: The NYU Hawks Are In Trouble
- May 7 · NYU Local: Check Out These High-Res Photos Of The NYU Hawks And Their New Hatchling
- May 6 · NPR The Two-Way: NYU 'Hawk Cam:' A Most Fortunate Miscalculation Yields Happy Ending
- May 6 · NYT City Room: Hawk Cam | Send Us Name Suggestions for the Baby Hawks
- May 6 · NYT: Baby Hawk Deaths Greatly Exaggerated, Video Feed Shows
- May 6 · NYU Local: Surprise! One Of The NYU Hawks' Eggs Has Hatched
- May 6 · WSN: Little hope for Bobst hawk eggs to hatch
- Apr 28 · NYU Local: Why Are The NYU Hawks Roosting On Bobst?
- Apr 26 · NYT City Room: Egg Is Hatching, Hawk Expert Confirms
Photos
Photos by Erin Callihan
Video
FAQ
Q. How do I tell the difference between Bobby and Violet?
A. Females are normally larger, and we can assume that Violet is the one on the eggs most of the time. It also seems that Violet has a small white mark on the back of her head.
Q. How big are they?
A. 20-25 inches long, with a 4½ foot wingspan.
More questions answered »
Kids' Guide to the Birds of Central Park—and NYC (PDF) »
About NYU Sustainability
As a private university in the public service, NYU has a responsibility to embed environmental values at the core of its administrative operations and academic mission. Sustainability means bringing together diverse segments of our community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and neighbors—to improve NYU's environmental performance and foster a "green" campus culture. » more