MANSFIELD, Ohio — Meet “Freebird,” the peregrine falcon believed to have taken up residence at Richland Bank in downtown Mansfield.
Although, since all the hullabaloo last week on social media, no one has seen him.
It’s as if he knew he was the talk of the town. In fact, last Friday, Jerry Thompson’s picture of the majestic creature triggered 181 comments and 19 shares at Richland Source.com.
It seemed only fitting to name our new Mansfielder. Richland Source, Richland Bank and the Ohio Bird Sanctuary decided to make it a contest, the winner received gift cards to TGI Fridays and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Names ran the gamut. They ranged from Mansfield rooted monikers like Malabar, Sherman, Westinghouse, Richland, Newman and the Mansbird Falcon. To more jocular suggestions like Flyer LaBeouf, Falcor the Fabulous, Zip and James Bird.
Thompson’s son, Jerry Thompson Jr., suggested the falcon be named Freebird, to win the award.
“And no, he doesn’t listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd,” Thompson said, laughing.
Although Thompson found his son’s name suggestion fitting, he said he liked Death From Above.
“It’s not too friendly, I know,” he said. “But if a medium-sized bird comes between its crosshairs, you can pretty much guarantee it’s going to die.
“If you read about these guys, they can hit speeds up to 200 miles per hour when they’re diving for prey. They’re pretty neat.”
Ohio Bird Sanctuary Executive Director Gail Laux said peregrine falcons have been clocked at 280 miles per hour during a power dive.
“They’re made for the speed with aerodynamic bodies,” she said.
Thompson said the day after he snapped Freebird’s picture, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, he found pigeon pieces and parts next to the window; but no Freebird.
“So yeah, I guess the name is fitting,” Thompson said.
Others have spotted him around the area, but Freebird has yet to land again atop Richland Bank, where he was spotted the first time.
As of Monday, Richland Bank employees and other building tenants said they had not seen the falcon. But evidence still remains sprawled on the Main Street sidewalk entrance.
Facilities worker Bruce Cline said he sees mostly heads belonging to other birds.
“We’ll see some wings and feathers and other parts here and there. But yeah, mostly there are heads,” Cline said.
“And we’ve seen the fecal matter and pigeon remains for about a year,” Richland Bank Marketing Manager Kristie Massa said.
She hopes Freebird takes up residence on the building.
“I think it would be pretty cool,” she said.
Laux said if it built a nest atop the building, it would be the first peregrine falcon to have become a Mansfield tenant — at least during her 28-year career with the Ohio Bird Sanctuary.
If Freebird does have a mate, which was reported but not officially documented, then Laux said she would work with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to have the offspring banded to better track the family.
