Christo - Part 3

I'm doing one more dedicated post for Christo, but he will always be remembered on this site. He is the one who started it all for me in terms of serious hawk-watching, which directly led to more expansive birding. He's responsible for me continuing to educate myself about wildlife and the environment, and I am forever grateful to him.

Just check out his magnificent bird! The photos above and below are from 2014.

This is Christo June 8, 2018 - I remember being really happy that I captured him in action as he took off after an intruder.

This is one of the last photos I took of Christo on February 13, 2025.

This photo of Christo flying past the moon with a crow was taken from Tompkins Square Park on January 26, 2018.

I was never sure what to do with this photo as the color and quality are not that great, but I thought it was funny to see Christo perched on the fence among the shoes. This was along Avenue A on April 18, 2022.

This scene of Christo on a fence holding a rat should be familiar to many people visiting the park. This is him doing his thing, making his way in a very urban world.

 

December 10, 2016

Zipping along Avenue A on March 15, 2017:

Nabbing a rat in the middle of the park, February 25, 2017.

Exactly a year ago, taking off from what would be his final nest in the ginkgo tree, March 12, 2024:

As Tompkins Square Park was the heart of Christo's territory, he spent most of his time in and around the park. This meant sleeping in the territory at night as well. He had several favorite roosting spots including a particular tree on the north side of the park along E 10th Street, the fire escape above Yucca Bar on Ave A & E 7th Street, and another fire escape on E 7th Street & Ave B. He would perch on the little bar that secures the fire escape to the building (see below). From that position, he could see the street, but after dark no one on the street could see him, and no one in the building could see him from their windows unless they stuck their heads out.

We can't forget how Christo had a talent for taking care of everyone in his world. He was a great dad, often "arguing" with Dora and Amelia about spending time brooding their eggs. He didn't seem to want to get up when it was time for a shift change. He also contributed equally to feeding the chicks in the nest. After the chicks fledged the nest, it was Christo who taught them to hunt and fend for themselves.

 

Christo's dad skills were not restricted to his own offspring. In June 2017, a fledgling from Brooklyn who had fallen from his nest, was introduced to Tompkins Square in the hopes that Christo and Dora would take him in. The plan worked. As I remember, Christo and Dora spent about an hour perched in a tree watching the new fledgling, who had been placed in the redwood tree inside the main lawn. After some "discussion" a decision was made and Dora flew off, indicating she had agreed to what ever it was they had decided. Christo then went into dad mode and cared for the new fledgling in addition to his own (they only had one that year).

 

The photo below shows Christo (right) supervising the young hawk as it learned to grasp food while simultaneously perching on a moving tree branch, a skill that must be learned. Christo spent the rest of the summer caring for the hawk, who came to be known as "Flatbush." I wrote a lot about the experience, which you can read about in my archives.

Winter/spring 2018 saw some drama as Dora was injured and had to be rehabbed for a few weeks before returning to the park. While she was away, nesting season began and Christo had no partner, so he took up with the resident female hawk from the Baruch Houses on Houston Street. She had apparently lost her mate, so Christo stepped up.

 

I visited the Baruch Houses as I'd heard about a pair of hawks building a nest there, and was stunned to see Christo bringing sticks and feeding the female! In the photo below, he is on the air-conditioner.

When Dora returned to Tompkins in early spring, Christo re-accepted her as his mate, but also continued on with the Baruch female. Neither that hawk nor Dora wanted to leave their own territories, so Christo flew back and forth between them, delivering food and helping to build the nests. 

 

This attracted media attention at the time and he was quickly labeled a "cheater" in an attempt to make the make the story more salacious. But the reality was the better story as Christo demonstrated his instinct to be the provider for everyone in his life. He was ready and willing to bring up two families if he had to. In the end, though, Dora had to return to the rehabber, and the Baruch female either found another mate, or went off to do her own thing, so Christo ended up that season with Amelia, who is the current resident female hawk of the park. You can read about some of the drama here.

 

Fast-forward to February 13, 2025: Amelia perched on the cross of St Nicholas of Myra as Christo takes off.

Christo and Amelia on May 31, 2023:

Christo flying in the late afternoon sun, March 6, 2023:

In Christo's honor, I've set up a page of videos taken over the years. These have been consolidated from my YouTube channel and can be accessed in the sidebar of this website.

 

To conclude, I'm posting my most popular Christo video which, for what ever reason, has over 5 million views on YouTube. I'm not a videographer, and I shot this with a point-and-shoot camera way back on September 9, 2014. I was sitting on a bench behind the park offices when Christo swooped in and landed right next to me. Startled, I stood up to back away and give him space. I started filming and had no idea what he was going to do or how long it was going to take.

 

The result is this unedited 5-minute video of Christo the hawk catching a rat. It shows his full hunting process and demonstrates his patience as he picks out the perfect prey before quickly catching it. The video has proven to test the patience of humans as I have received many complaints on the length, LOL. This is all real and shows the actual life of a hawk. In a fast-paced world where attention spans are near zero, Christo was a great teacher of patience, perseverance, focus, and Zen.