Newborn Falcons Hatch In Aurora, City Launches Voting To Name Them

AURORA, IL — Four baby falcons were born in early May outside of Aurora City Hall, and the city is taking community input to name them.

In April, a falcon named Vixen began nesting in a crevice on the second floor of the exterior of City Hall. She was fledged from a nest in Minneapolis. She met Dave, an adult male peregrine, fledged in 2020 from a nest in Chicago, and went on to lay four eggs, city officials said. The first two eyas hatched May 1, and the second two followed three days later.

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As the eyas siblings grow under the protection of their mother in downtown Aurora, the city is operating a poll to decide what to name the baby birds. Following their birth, officials launched an open nomination process that garnered nearly 400 responses. The submissions have been narrowed down to the top 10: Vern, Aurora, Hope, George, Amor, Fox, Galena, Wayne, Sky and Ringo.

Voters have until May 18 to cast a ballot for their favorite names, with the top four vote-getters serving as the names for the baby falcons.

In the meantime, the city launched a 24-hour "Falcon Cam" to give bird lovers a chance to gaze upon the mother falcon and her babies.