Help Name Union County's New Falcon Chicks. Voting Closes Friday

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Residents have until Friday to help name the two newest peregrine falcon chicks living atop the historic Union County Courthouse Tower in Elizabeth — and this year, the names are going patriotic.

In celebration of the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary, the Union County Board of County Commissioners is asking the public to vote for two of eight names: Liberty, Patriot, Justice, Glory, America, Independence "Indy," Valor and Anthem.

"Every year, the Falcon Cam gives residents a unique opportunity to experience wildlife and nature right here in the heart of Union County," Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek said. "This year's naming contest is a fun way to celebrate our nation's upcoming 250th anniversary while also helping educate residents about the importance of protecting endangered species."

The chicks arrived after a nesting season the county described as full of unexpected twists. Frida, the longtime female falcon who occupied the nest for six years and raised 26 chicks with her mate Mango, disappeared in mid-June 2025 after being pushed out in a territorial dispute with another female.

A federally banded female soon appeared at the site. With help from New Jersey State Biologist Kathy Clark, researchers determined the bird hatched in 2016 and had previously been captured at JFK Airport before being released in New Paltz, New York. She was named "Lizzie" in honor of the City of Elizabeth.

Lizzie laid five eggs between March 23 and April 2 as territorial disputes continued playing out live on camera. By mid-April, another unbanded female claimed the nest site — later named "Betsy" after Elizabeth "Betsy" Ross, the New Jersey-born seamstress credited with sewing the first American flag.

Many viewers feared the eggs wouldn't survive the upheaval. But on May 11, the first chick emerged on the livestream, followed by a second on May 13. Betsy and Mango have cared for the chicks together since, as thousands of viewers follow along online each day.

The Falcon Cam, installed in 2016, is the only live peregrine falcon cam in New Jersey, offering two camera views of the nest and rooftop. The county runs the program in partnership with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.

Peregrine falcons once thrived throughout New Jersey and the eastern United States before the pesticide DDT devastated the population beginning in the 1950s. Following the federal DDT ban in 1973, the species returned to New Jersey through reintroduction efforts launched in the 1980s.

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