The University of Oregon School of Law recently held a vote to name two osprey chicks that hatched atop the school’s Knight Law Center. And the winners were … Well, this is a law school. The chicks were dubbed by popular vote “Ruth Bader Ginsbird” and “Sandra Day O’Sprey. More than 150 names were suggested.
According to the school, naming them can be bit complicated. We guess it’s sort of like civil procedure.
Citing experts at the Cascades Raptor Center, the school noted that osprey chicks do not typically have identifying marks. “Even male and female birds are notoriously similar in size and markings,” the school said. “However, the larger chick is likely the first-hatched. For purposes of identification, the larger bird is Ruth Bader Ginsbird, as this name earned the most votes in the poll.”
According to the school’s website, the story of the birds goes like this:” “Until 2014, the osprey had nested on a light pole above historic Hayward Field. As legend has it, the nest was relocated to the roof of UO Law because one of the birds dropped a trout onto lane four of the track while runners were on it. Now, thanks to donations by friends and alumni in honor of recently retired Dean Margaret “Margie” Paris, osprey enthusiasts can watch the birds live online while the chicks develop, (https://law.uoregon.edu/explore/osprey). (The photo is a screen shot of the nest.)
“The adult osprey pair returned to their annual nesting place April 3, 2018 and within three weeks, two eggs were laid. A third egg arrived in early May. According to Facebook follower Susan Fredericksen, Ruth Bader Ginsbird hatched between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, 2018. The second chick, Sandra Day O’sprey, hatched between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, 2018. A third chick hatched between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, but it did not survive.”
Other names that were suggested included “Onyx” and “Agate,” for the streets surrounding UO’s campus, and “Ash” and “Pre,” in honor of track and field superstars Ashton Eaton and Steve Prefontaine. National Jurist, though a fine name, was apparently not in the mix.