Nebraskaland Magazine
And so here we are at the end. It has been a fun Peregrine Falcon season. Today’s ceremony at the Capitol announcing the winning entry for the “name-the-chick” contest was a great way to put an exclamation point on it all. In fact, it made it special because it was about a lot more than Peregrine Falcons.
We had a great “name-the-chick” contest this year, with 507 initial suggestions and then 1,560 votes cast to select the winner from five finalists. After the votes were tallied, one name stood out, capturing nearly 80% of all votes cast by the public. The young male Peregrine Falcon hatched and raised at the Capitol in 2015 will, from this point forward, be known as Orozco.
Four individuals submitted Orozco and their names are as follows:
- State Senator Kate Bolz of Lincoln
- Amanda Horner of Lincoln
- Omaha Police Sergeant Matt Manhart of Omaha
- Rebecca McCoy of Lincoln
Congratulations to the winners. Each received a prize package that included a certificate, a one-year subscription to NEBRASKAland magazine and a Peregrine Falcon plush toy.
The winning name obviously honors the memory of fallen Omaha Police Officer Kerrie Orozco. The tragedy which occurred on 20 May 2015 in Omaha impacted citizens throughout our state and across our country. It was a privilege to be able to honor Officer Orozco, today, and it was special that our winners included a state senator and an Omaha Police Officer.
Now, we hope the best for Orozco. He is the 22nd Peregrine Falcon to be fledged at the Capitol and he appears to be thriving. He will hang around the Capitol for several more weeks as he is still dependent on his parents. Sometime in late summer or early fall, he is expected to go out on his own into the great unknown. I am hopeful, in a couple years, we will hear from Orozco again when he settles down and is sighted as an adult falcon.
Thanks to everyone that participated in the naming contest and to everyone that came out today, it was a great ceremony!
