JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4Jax doesn’t have an official mascot, but perhaps it’s time that we do. Especially now that a hawk and its fledgling have taken a shine to our tower cam on Jacksonville’s Southbank.
On Monday, newsroom employees and viewers alike were delighted to see the red-tailed hawk perched in front of our camera atop the tower with a rodent (and eventual snack) clenched in its talons.
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But our fascination with this bird of prey didn’t end there. By Tuesday afternoon, a hawk-eyed staffer noticed the hawk (the jury is still out on its name) had returned with a fledgling and another meal.
The story was the same on Wednesday when we witnessed the pair feasting on a variety of wildlife, from smaller birds to squirrels.
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SLIDESHOW: Hawk feeds hatchling atop News4Jax tower cam
We’re not ashamed to admit we sat here devouring our sandwiches while watching the hawk tear a smaller bird to shreds and feed bite-sized morsels to its baby. It’s cute -- in spite of the cannibalism.
Since this hawk has apparently adopted us, we thought it fitting that he or she receive a name.
We asked for your suggestions about a potential name and you answered.
After boiling the decision down to three names -- Toni Hawk, Radar, Sky Hawk 4 -- we put it to a vote. And you all decided on Radar.