By Khalida Sarwari
Young people in San Jose are being asked to come up with names for City Hall’s newest falcon chicks, one of which hatched early Tuesday morning.
Participants in the naming contest can begin submitting suggestions for celebrity falcons Clara and Esteban Colbert’s offspring until April 22. The contest is open to youths ages 5 to 18.
The first egg began hatching atop San Jose City Hall late Monday night, said Glenn Stewart, a wildlife biologist at the University of California at Santa Cruz. The gender of the chick won’t be known until later this month.
This is Clara’s fifth nesting season at City Hall and her third with mate Esteban Colbert. Three more of Clara’s eggs are expected to hatch in the next few days, Stewart said.
More information about the naming contest can be found online at www.sanjoseca.gov/falcons. Nominations can be submitted by email to mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov or by mail to Falcon Naming c/o Mayor’s Office, 200 E. Santa Clara St., 18th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113.
A panel of judges will select up to 10 finalists by April 29 based on the creativity of the names, the quality of accompanying essays or artwork, and how well the names reflect the falcons’ habitat, lifestyle, and the challenges they face on a daily basis.
The winning names will then be chosen through an online voting process and announced on May 6.