Abstract
During the 2004 holiday season, Pale Male, New York City’s celebrated and world-renowned red-tailed hawk, had his nest deliberately destroyed. The nest was approximately 400-pounds and was built over several years. Almost immediately, this act of destruction was met with popular uproar among his many fans throughout the world. This tragic story could easily have been avoided if the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) had correctly carried out its duties under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). What happened to Pale Male years ago is still a possibility today because the Service’s policy remains the same. This article addresses these issues and urges the Service to comply with the MBTA by demanding that individuals receive permits to destroy any bird nest before the destruction occurs.
Recommended Citation
Brent Plater, Nicole Lopez-Hagan, and Laura Horton, Problems for Pale Male: An Analysis of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Nest Destruction Policy, 30 Pace Envtl. L. Rev. 811 (2013)DOI: https://doi.org/10.58948/0738-6206.1727
Available at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pelr/vol30/iss3/1
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