Aurora names four baby falcons after public vote; mayor says 'Verne' honors local birdwatcher

Aurora Mayor John Lash said the city’s four baby falcons nesting near Aurora City Hall have been named Aurora, Skye, Hope and Verne after a public naming contest that drew broad neighborhood participation.

“Verne was an avid birdwatcher here in the city of Aurora in the Fox Valley area,” Mayor John Lash said, describing the choice of the name Verne as a tribute to a local resident who recently died of cancer. “We had, over 500 people, participate in this election. We had 400 people submit names, and Verne placed in the top vote getters both times.”

The contest was run by the city and promoted to residents; Lash said employees in the human resources and sustainability departments noticed people gathering with telephoto lenses on the Paramount Promenade and helped arrange a live camera on the nest so the community could follow the chicks’ growth. “One of the birds will carry the city's name forward wherever it travels to,” Lash said of the bird named Aurora.

Hosts noted the adult birds are known as Vixen and Dave. Lash said all four chicks were alive and active during a live camera check, but that officials had not yet confirmed whether they would be officially banded. “I’m not certain yet whether they will come out and get officially banded,” he said, adding that Britney Everett in the HR department was trying to arrange banding.

The mayor described the naming contest as lighthearted and broadly engaging, contrasting it with a more contentious naming process reported in Kentucky. He said many submissions were playful and community members responded enthusiastically to the chance to participate.

City staff said they will continue to monitor the nest via the live feed and update the public if banding or other official actions are scheduled.