Pale Male：A Hawk Survives in New York City

Pale Male: A Hawk Survives in New York City

白雄：在纽约市幸存的一只老鹰

Look, up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It’s a red-tailed hawk! They call him Pale Male because he has a large patch of white feathers on his chest, and he is male. He came out of nowhere to try to make it in the big city. He is brave and fearless. There are many birds that live in New York City’s Central Park. In 1990, 215 different species lived there—but no hawks. Then, in the fall of 1991, Pale Male appeared.

看，在天上！它是一只鸟吗？是飞机吗？这是一只红尾鹰！ 他们称他为白雄，因为他胸部有一大块白色羽毛，而且他是雄性的。 他不知从何而来，想在大城市里闯一闯。 他勇敢无畏。 纽约市的中央公园里有很多鸟。 1990年，有215种不同的物种生活在那里，但没有鹰。 然后，在1991年秋天，白雄出现了。

He was the first hawk to make his home in Central Park, the most visited city park in the United States. Hawks usually live in the open countryside, so people were very excited to see him. They enjoyed watching him hunt for rats, pigeons, and squirrels from high atop his perch. Red-tailed hawks like to watch for prey—the creatures that other animals kill and eat—from the tops of tall trees. But since Pale Male lived in the city, his favorite perches were the tops of apartment buildings!

他是第一个在中央公园安家的鹰，中央公园是美国游客最多的城市公园。 老鹰通常生活在开阔的乡村，所以人们看到他很兴奋。 他们喜欢看着他在栖息的高处捕捉老鼠、鸽子和松鼠。 红尾鹰喜欢观察其他动物在高大的树顶上捕食的猎物。 但由于白雄的居住在城里，他最喜欢的栖息点是公寓楼的顶部！

Fifth Avenue, which lines Central Park, is where many rich and famous people live. Pale Male sat on their balconies. When he saw a rat or pigeon on the ground, he would swoop down to catch it. People were amazed that a hawk could survive this way in the city. People were even more amazed when, the next spring, Pale Male brought a mate to New York. Together they built a nest in a tall tree in the park.

中央公园旁边的第五大道是许多富人和名人居住的地方。 白雄坐在阳台上。 当他看到地上有一只老鼠或鸽子时，他会俯冲下来抓住它。 人们对一只鹰能在城市中以这种方式生存感到惊讶。 人们更加惊讶的是，当第二年春天，白雄带着一个伴侣来到纽约，。 他们一起在公园的一棵大树上筑巢。

But crows, a natural enemy of red-tailed hawks, drove the pair away. What would they do? Pale Male had an idea. He and his mate broke twigs from a tree and flew to the top of a 12-story apartment building. They built their nest on a ledge above someone’s apartment window! They chose a good spot. The spikes on the ledge helped keep the nest firmly in place. And the ledge gave them a great view of the park. Soon the family grew.

但是乌鸦，红尾鹰的天敌，把这对鹰赶走了。他们会怎么做？ 白雄有个主意。他和他的同伴从树上折断树枝，飞到一栋12层公寓楼的顶部。 他们在某人公寓窗户上方的窗台上筑巢！ 他们选择了一个好地方。 窗台上的尖刺有助于将鸟巢牢牢地固定住。 窗台给了他们能够看到公园的良好视野。 不久，这个家增员了。

When three chicks were seen in the nest, people watching below cheered. They had been waiting a long time to see the chicks. Pale Male and his mate fed the baby chicks every day. When the babies were ready, they learned to fly from their parents. Pale Male and his mate were good parents. Pale Male was becoming more and more famous. A devoted group of bird-watchers followed his every move. New Yorkers grew to love him as they read about his adventures in the newspapers and saw pictures of him and his family on the Internet.

当看到三只小鸟在窝里时，在下面观看的人们欢呼起来。 他们等了很长时间看小鸟。 白雄和他的伴侣每天都给鸟宝宝喂食。 当鸟宝宝准备好后，他们从父母那里学会了飞行。 白雄和他的伴侣是对好父母。 白雄越来越出名。 一群忠实的观鸟者关注着他的一举一动。 当纽约人在报纸上读到他的冒险经历，并在网上看到他和家人的照片时，他们越来越喜欢他。