Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Birds Take Up Residence at Car Dealership

A Valencia car dealership has become a temporary bird sanctuary.

The Valencia Jeep Eagle showroom was rattled by the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake and sustained minor damage that included the loosening of a 2-foot-by-2-foot light attached to a stucco overhang.

When officials attempted to secure the light, now sitting at a prominent angle with its interior wires visible, they noticed a pair of hand-sized birds building a nest.

That prompted John Wilson, who handles sales and leasing for the dealership, to ask his bosses to leave the birds undisturbed. The bosses agreed.

“They looked like they were cute and it looked like they were building for a nice, warm family,” said Matt Ghuman, sales manager. “We didn’t want to destroy somebody’s home, even if they were in the wrong place.”

The two brown sparrows, distinctive because of their color and a white slash on each wing, have already been named by Wilson--”Jawbone” for the male after Wilson’s music company and “Tracey” for the female, for “someone I love very much,” he said.

Meanwhile, their makeshift nest sits above a pair of $20,000 Chrysler LeBaron convertibles. The damaged light is considered secure--even at its tilted angle.

And aside from prompting some extra cleanings of the cars’ hoods, the birds have been unobtrusive.

“I think they’re pretty smart. When the light comes on at night, they’re warm,” said Wilson. “They’ve moved from trees to condos.”

Unless disrupted, the birds are expected to stay in their new home for two months, laying eggs in three to four weeks and then spending another four weeks as the baby birds learn to fly.