UC Berkeley’s famed falcon Annie has found a new mate to snuggle up alongside in the Campanile. Annie, now a mother of one, has also welcomed Lou to the family.

Cal Falcons scientist Mary Malec said that during the naming process, voters decided between names nodding to historic Berkeley architect Julia Morgan, athletes like Marshawn Lynch and Tony Gonzalez, astronomers, and other influential individuals. Despite these strong contenders, the name Lou came out on top.

Annie was named after Annie Montague Alexander, a former collector at the campus Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, who was previously married to Louise Kellogg. Lou was named after the same Kellogg, who was a former professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Davis. Though Lou’s exact age remains a mystery, Cal Falcons estimates he is an adult in his third year, according to Malec.

Lou, in his limited time in the nest, has remained a vigilant watcher for his new family. According to Malec, he chased off a juvenile female falcon who, despite posing no harm, is considered a floater.

Although female falcons require mates for reproduction rather than survival purposes, they will stay with their mate if they’re around, Malec noted. She added that the presence of floaters in the area is a good indication of a healthy peregrine population.

“This year we’ve had problems with drones on campus,” Malec said. “People want to get close to it with their drones. We need to control any harm that could come to them from people.”

Cal Falcons worked with campus to put up informational signs about falcon protection measures and with UCPD to enforce policies against flying drones on campus, which Malec said has been successful thus far.

Given the loss in the falcon population that has occurred in previous years, Malec said Cal Falcons looks forward to another set of eggs from Annie in the coming days. Annie is expected to lay four eggs within the span of two and a half days, Malec added.

Falcons typically hatch their eggs within a 24-hour period, according to Malec, because the first eggs don’t incubate fully until the clutch of eggs is nearly complete. This allows the chicks to be around the same age, which makes it easier for them to compete for food.

Malec and her team expect the remainder of Annie’s eggs to arrive in the coming week, she noted. She predicts that the eggs will hatch in one month, and that six weeks afterward, there will be falcon chicks flying for Annie and Lou to love and care for.