The osprey chicks have hatched atop the Knight Law Center at the University of Oregon. For the past week, alumni, followers, and fans of the birds have suggested names for the hatchlings. Now, it is your chance to vote on your favorite.
Thanks to the creativity and innovation of our community, more than 150 names were suggested since the first chicks hatched last week. Names for the chicks, and even the parents, have ranged from silly, (“Osome”), to cute, (“Rosy,” “Posy,” and “Spry,”), to homages to favorite artists, (“[Boy] George,” “Freddy [Mercury], and “David” [Bowie]). Ultimately, the list of names was narrowed to thirty, each falling into one of three categories, “Legal,” “University of Oregon,” and “Oregon.”
Members of the public can choose up to 5 of their favorite names, and those with the most votes will be chosen as the names for the osprey chicks.
Earlier this year, the School of Law installed a video camera atop the osprey nest perch to offer a bird’s eye view in real time of the nesting osprey. This unique view was made possible through gifts by friends and alumni in honor of recently retired Dean Margaret “Margie” Paris, the first woman to hold the deanship at UO Law.
The adult osprey pair returned to their annual nesting place April 3, 2018 and within 3 weeks, two eggs were laid. A third egg arrived in early May. According to Susan Fredericksen in a comment on the Oregon Law Facebook page, the first chick hatched between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, 2018; the second chick hatched between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, 2018; and the third chick hatched between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Unfortunately, the youngest chick does not appear to have survived. The osprey family can be viewed live online at https://law.uoregon.edu/osprey.
* Updated June 18, 2018 to include the hatch dates and times.
Written by Laura McGinnis and updated by Jeff Ehren. Graphic design by K. Lovisa Hogstrom, graduating senior in the School of Journalism and Communication.