Bo, Fritz, Lloyd and Yost: Peregrine falcon chicks named after famous U-M football coaches

The healthy chicks hatched in a man-made nest atop University of Michigan Hospital on May 2. Last week, U-M launched a naming contest on its Facebook page.

After receiving suggestions, U-M launched a poll with name clusters centered on former U-M presidents, U-M cheer mantras —such as hail and victor,— astronomical missions or terms and football coaches.

Bo, Fritz, Lloyd and Yost easily won, receiving 205 out of 328 total votes. The names reference former head football coaches Bo Schembechler, Herbert "Fritz" Crisler, Lloyd Carr and Fielding Yost.

The chicks were banded in late May so they can be tracked by the Department of Natural Resources. The join a growing family of peregrine chicks hatched in Ann Arbor.

Peregrine falcons are endangered in Michigan. U-M's campus has been home to two grown peregrines since 2006.

In urban areas, Falcons tend to nest on tall buildings or bridges because of their similarity to high cliffs and ledges. When officials realized the pair wasn't successfully nesting on U-M's 192-foot tall Burton Memorial Tower, their nesting place of choice, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources helped set up a nesting box atop University Hospital.

Last spring the falcons successfully hatched a trio of chicks. Another nesting box has been installed on North Quad.

Peregrine falcons often use the same nest site for many years, so it's possible that U-M's campus could be the birth spot for more chicks in future years.