Name the Unbanded Tiercel at Seneca Towers
If you have been following our FalconWatch blog, you know that a banded, yet to be identified juvenile female and an unbanded tiercel have been seen together for weeks in the vicinity of Seneca Towers and Eastman Business Park.
Since there is a lull in the activity at the nest box on the Times Square building while the falcons brood their eggs, this would be a perfect opportunity to choose a name for the unbanded tiercel!
We are very happy to announce that once again falcon fans will have an opportunity to choose a name for a Rochester falcon. This is in the form of a naming contest, and it is open to all our viewers.
Much care and thought was used to name past falcons. We’ve included the criteria that has always been used to choose a name. Please read the rules very carefully and use the link below to submit either a male or gender neutral name. Only one submission per person!
The deadline for name submissions is 11:59 pm (EDT) on Sunday, May 11, 2014.
Suggested Rfalconcam Naming Criteria Acceptable Categories for Names:
Explorers, Astronomers, Conservationists, especially those with
International appeal (e.g., Galileo, Amelia [Earhart], Magellan), or those who have played a significant role in Peregrine re-population efforts.
Names inspired by Nature–topographic, meteorological, geographic, etc. (e.g. Mariah, Kaver, Isaura, Fulmine, Alkyonis, Skye, Aconcagua)
Inspirational Names (e.g. Freedom, Hope, Destiny)
Mythological Beings (e.g. Isis, Thor, Zeus, Ananta)
Words that refer to falcons in languages other than Modern English (e.g. Thlotli, Hafoc)
Categories that do not fit the criteria:
Names derived from religious, political, or popular culture icons.
Names directly related to a human person either living or dead, except as noted in the acceptable criteria above.
Names related to a commercial product, or a copyrighted or trademarked name owned by any corporation, individual or organization.
Names that reflect negatively on any group, organization, individual or entity.
Names should be well researched whenever possible. Supporting rationale for the name is required, so give us a few sentences that explain the name and the reason you chose it.
Submitting a Name:
That’s easy! Just click on this link to open the submission form. Only one submission per person please! If multiple submissions are sent in, only the first one will be accepted.
NOTE: IF SUBMITTING A NAME, PLEASE DO NOT DISCUSS IT HERE, ON THE FORUM, OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS.
Judging the Name Submissions:
The Rfalconcam Naming Committee will evaluate all name submissions for appropriateness, including (but not limited to) adherence to the naming criteria, well researched name, uniqueness of the name and how well it follows the “spirit” of past falcon names.
The committee will select the top five names from those submitted and create a poll for members of the Rfalconcam Forum to vote for their favorite. You must be a member of the Forum to be able to vote for a name. Join the forum now if you’d like to participate! (Forum membership is NOT required to submit a name for consideration.)
NOTE: MEMBERS OF THE NAMING COMMITTEE WILL HAVE FINAL EDITORIAL RIGHT OF REFUSAL FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS, AND THEY MAY REJECT ANY NAME SUBMISSION THAT DOES NOT MEET THE NAMING CRITERIA OR IS JUDGED NOT TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR ANY OTHER REASON.
Past Falcon Names that Meet the Criteria Above:
2002
Freedom
2003
Isaura – A wind that blows off the Greek Isles
Chayton – A Native American word for Falcon
Destiny
Thlotli – An Aztec name for Falcon
Edge – Named for Rosalie Edge, who founded the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, USA
2004
Alkyonis – Named in honor of the 2004 Olympic games in Greece
Pride
Gahastey – Native American word for a type of wind
Grissom – Named in honor of Virgil “Gus” Grissom, the second American to fly in space
Hafoc – Old English word for Falcon
2005
Esperanza – Spanish word for Hope
Ihteram – Arabic word for Respect
Fulmine – Italian word for Lightning
Aconcagua – A mountain in Argentina, the highest in the Western Hemisphere
Skye – An island in Scotland where falconry is practiced
2006
Aura – Latin word for breeze
2007
Ananta – A Sanskrit word meaning “infinite” and “endless.”
It is one of the many names of Vishnu, the supreme being in the Hindu faith
2008
Diamante – Spanish for “diamond”
Quest – A search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something
Seneca – Named after the largest tribe of the Iroquois confederacy of North American Indians
Zephyr – The name given to the West Wind in Greek mythology
2010
Jemison – In honor of Mary Jemison, an American frontierswoman and an adopted Seneca
2012
Orion – The constellation of “The Hunter” who watches over Rochester’s winter skies and is one of the most recognizable constellations
2013
Voyager
The deadline for name submissions is 11:59 pm (EDT) on Sunday, May 11, 2014.
Good Luck!
May 6th, 2014 at 9:05 PM
I’d like to suggest XXXXXXXX
EDIT: DO NOT DISCUSS NAMES HERE. USE THE FORM.
May 9th, 2014 at 11:58 AM
It is nice to have a name to call this tiercel, but if he is replaced, will we call his successor the same thing? (This practice was used for a pair of storks on a web cam in Germany – it was not certain that it was the very same ones each season as some were unbanded, but they were always called Romeo and Juliette.) Is this name to give unbanded males who hang out in the Seneca Towers area and, hopefully, start a family there?
May 9th, 2014 at 9:29 PM
We would most likely not call his successor the same thing. I can give 2 reasons for this:
1. If we follow the precedent set when Kaver replaced Cabot-Sirocco, a successor will be given a name of his own.
2. The successor may be banded and already have a name.
May 23rd, 2014 at 5:06 PM
We knew what Cabot was called ’cause he was banded. Another banded male would be distinguishable from the current one. If a new unbanded male shows up in succeeding seasons on Veterans’ Bridge, replacing the current unbanded male, we might not know for quite a while.
May 23rd, 2014 at 9:29 PM
Regardless of the presence of bands, as soon as we know it’s a different tiercel, we will stop calling him Veteran. This is consistent with past policy.