FALCON, U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY
The Air Force Academy mourned the death of Aurora, a white phase gyrfalcon and the school's official mascot, in October. She lived to 23, twice the age of falcons in the wild. Fortunately, the school has several more falcons that interact with the public, including Ace and Apollo. "Every time I see the falcon, I'm proud to have a respected service academy in the area. Besides, the birds are beautiful," said a voter.