Celebrity New York hawk amazes with baby

Violet the red-tailed hawk nesting on a Manhattan window ledge amazed experts and hordes of online fans when one of her three eggs beat the odds to hatch a fluffy baby.

The nest, perched outside the 12th floor office of the president of New York University, has been under the eye of a New York Times webcam for weeks.

Experts had written off the chances of any live births earlier this week, but on Friday out came a little beak and pair of beady eyes. Violet and her companion Bobby were parents.

"Nature, fortunately, does not listen to the experts," The New York Times said.

The joy, though, quickly mixed with new worries. Webcam footage on Saturday appears to show that Violet has a problem with one of her feet, with swelling and something wrapped above her claw.

The Times quoted one of its hawk experts saying Violet now risks fatal injury -- which in turn would doom her baby, known as an eyass. The daily reported it is attempting to arrange a rescue attempt from the rooftop of the university.

New York's concrete jungle is the unlikely haven for a number of wild media stars.

The love life of another red-tailed hawk, known as Pale Male, has been a long-running local media staple.

Last year an adventurous coyote sparked pandemonium after straying into Central Park and in March an Egyptian cobra made headlines after escaping in the Bronx Zoo.

Hawk Cam can be viewed at: http://cityroom.bl … om-the-nest/

(c) 2011 AFP