VOTE on my New Name!

Let the voting begin!

That’s right! You get to decide what we should name our newest Animal Ambassador!  We know her by her ornithological alpha code designation, PEFA (pea-fuh), but soon she’ll have a new permanent name!

More than 100 name suggestions came in from Facebook, Instagram, by email and over the phone! Oh My! These names were INCREDIBLE! It was a hard decision with much deliberation. Things may have gotten a little heated 😉 as our dedicated Animal Care staff jockeyed to get their favorite names on the short list. See who is winning below!


Here are some of the incredible names suggested by the public that didn’t make the cut: 🙁

Mattea
Twig
Solstice
Jade
Skye
Eclipse
Hera
Luna
Timide (French word for “shy”)
LuLaRoe (because she has leggings on)
Aryialle – (pronounced: aerial)
PJ (because she looks like she is pajamas)
Elpida (Greek word for “hope”)

And SOOO Many More! Thank you all for your creativity!


Ready to vote?!

Here’s how it works!

To help provide for PEFA’s care and the care of her fellow Animal Ambassadors each vote will be made by a donation of $1.00. You can vote as many times as you’d like. If you are a house divided you can even split your $10.00 donation among two or three of your favorite names.  If your favorite name falls behind, don’t worry! You can vote anytime until February 17th! In early March we’ll have a naming ceremony so you can come and meet the new ambassador and hear first hand from her keepers and trainers! For your donation you’ll receive an email receipt that can be used for tax purposes.

VOTE NOW


Need to know a little more about her before voting…

Pefa arrived in 2020 from a rehabilitation facility in Washington. She was not eligible for release because the severity of a wing injury meant she would not be able to survive in the wild. We suspect she is female because of her size, but as with many birds of prey it can be difficult to be absolutely sure. She is still very shy and can be startled by guests but has been growing accustomed to her handlers. She is working on becoming the best Animal Ambassador she can be!
Peregrine falcons are incredible birds and we are lucky to have them as a native species! Often touted as the fastest animal, they are formidable hunters that prey on other birds (and bats) in mid-flight. Peregrines hunt from above and, after sighting their prey, drop into a steep, swift dive that can top 200 miles an hour. In one study a peregrine is estimated to have reached a dive speed of 270! Peregrine falcons are among the world’s most common birds of prey and live on all continents except Antarctica. They prefer wide-open spaces, and thrive near coasts where shorebirds are common, but they can be found everywhere from tundra to deserts. Peregrines are even known to live on bridges and skyscrapers in major cities. These birds may travel widely outside the nesting season—their name means “wanderer.” Though some individuals are permanent residents, many migrate. Those that nest on Arctic tundra and winter in South America fly as many as 15,500 miles in a year. Yet they have an incredible homing instinct that leads them back to favored aeries. Some nesting sites have been in continuous use for hundreds of years, occupied by successive generations of falcons.
Peregrine populations were in steep decline during the mid-20th century, and in the United States these beautiful falcons became an endangered species. The birds have rebounded strongly since the use of DDT and other chemical pesticides was curtailed. Captive breeding programs have also helped to boost the bird’s numbers in the U.S. and Canada. Now populations are strong in those nations, and in some parts of the globe, there actually may be more peregrines than existed before the 20th-century decline.

Help name our newest Ambassador on our Facebook page!

Submit a name via email at savingwildlife@wildlifeimages.org.

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