Jun 30, 2008 6:10 pm US/Central
Hawk Won't Let Bank Of America Change Billboard
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
-
-
A hawk roosting on this Bank of America billboard attacked a worker trying to change the sign in Markham.
CBS
The squawk in Markham tonight is a hawk that doesn't take to kindly to people invading its habitat. CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports that the bird is roosting on a billboard just off I-57, and it has stalled plans for some new advertising there.
Bank of America bought LaSalle Bank late last year and started converting LaSalle branches to Bank of America. That meant changing LaSalle signs, ads and billboards to reflect the new name.
Everything was going fine until a crew went to change a LaSalle Bank billboard off Interstate 57 near Kedzie Avenue.
"When the sign company representative went to change the sign, a hawk made it known he was the tenant on the catwalk," Bank of America spokeswoman Diane Wagner said.
The intent was to change all signs before May 5 when the official name change took place, but the angry hawk wouldn't allow his roost to be disturbed. So his nesting spot still sports LaSalle Bank wallpaper, so to speak.
Hawks, like many species, are rather protective of their young, Bob Bryerton, a naturalist at Plum Creek Nature Center, said. They can have a wingspan of more than 4 feet.
"The only time a bird goes to a nest is when it's laying eggs or raising babies," Bryerton said.
Wagner said crews were fairly sure it's a red-tail hawk, and Bryerton concurred. Those are the most prevalent in the Midwest, and they tend to have high perches.
Mike Mielke, director of operations for Lamar Advertising, which owns the billboard, said the worker who encountered the LaSalle Bank hawk is part of a crew that's previously encountered a billboard-ensconced hawk.
"It has happened where our crews climbed up a sign, not knowing there were hawks up there and had the mother knock into the catwalk and actually knock the hardhat off one guy's head," Mielke said.
Hawk eggs incubate for 30 to 45 days, and the young birds are ready to leave the nest 45 days after hatching. When it's clear the babies have found their wings and the mother has abandoned the nest, Mielke said workers will remove it.
The hawks might return next year, depending on whether they found the location successful for reproduction, Bryerton said.
Mielke said it's uncommon to find a bird's nest on a billboard, though it has happened a handful of times in the past few years. Now, whenever a crew spots a nest, they leave it be.
"The last thing you want to do is mess with a mother when she's protecting her babies, whether it's a bird or a human," Mielke said.
Dr. Megan Ross, the general curator at the Lincoln Park Zoo said this is "normal behavior." She says hawks are common to our area, and when they're protecting their young, it doesn't take much to give them a foul attitude.
"Birds are going to defend their territory," Ross said. "Certainly going up and disturbing their nesting area would be something they would be protective of."
About a mile from the roost, the Hawkins family has noticed the birds.
"I've been poop-bombed, but never dive-bombed," said neighbor Richard Hawkins.
They've seen how the West Nile virus has reduced the numbers in other species and are happy to see the hawks going strong.
"This last past winter season, the blue jays and some of the cardinals and some of the other birds, we lost those birds, so we definitely want to keep the hawks," Hawkins said.
It can take up to 45 days for a hawk's eggs to incubate. Then, the young birds have to learn how to fly. So any signs of change here will have to wait.
The birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and cannot be disturbed.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones and the STNG wire contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Celebrity Watcher: Real Or Fake?
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
