Manhattan's Famous Hawk Widow Has a New Man

Fifth Avenue's most famous red-tailed widow has moved on—and moved in with a younger guy. Octavia, longtime mate of legendary hawk Pale Male, is back at their storied 927 Fifth Avenue nest with a new partner who's likely just 2 or 3 years old, according to birders tracking the pair. The age gap shows in their eyes: his still yellowish, hers dark, reports the New York Times. After years of failed relationships and no chicks following Pale Male's 2023 death (Our Town reported on that here), Octavia has surprised observers by breeding again, with at least one downy youngster spotted in recent days.

The nameless new male appears to be pulling his weight, bringing food and tending the nest in what one bird advocate called "terrific nesting behavior." He's a departure from Octavia's previous beaus, says one birder: "Every year she would have a boyfriend, but it wouldn't last. Just not satisfied with their nest-building skills, or whatever." The Fifth Avenue aerie—once the focus of protests led by resident Mary Tyler Moore after the co-op tried to remove Pale Male's nest in 2004—has become one of several red-tailed hawk sites ringing Central Park, a shift conservationists cite as a success story. The building's board, now described as a "terrific landlord," recently halted planned work once staff realized Octavia had started nesting again.