It can be easy to forget that the White House is actually a national park — because usually, our wildlife doesn’t get more exotic than the black squirrels that are common here in Washington. But sometimes we’re reminded that nature often finds a way, even in downtown D.C.
Most recently, we discovered that a red-tailed hawk has taken up residence on the grounds. The hawk’s presence reminds us that birds of prey can sometimes adapt to urban environments, substituting telephone poles, skyscrapers, and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for the rock ledges they usually nest and perch on — but also of how these birds are imperiled in the wild, as unofficial White House birder-in-residence Tamara Dickinson wrote earlier this week.
But since this hawk has chosen the White House as a place to nest and rest — and find plenty of squirrels — we think it makes sense to give it a name. And we know just the people to suggest one.