Two Peregrine Falcon Chicks Hatched Atop Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge
Two healthy peregrine falcon chicks have been hatched in a specially built nesting box atop the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, MTA announced yesterday.
The fluffy hatchlings have a 360-degree view of the city skyline from their perch on top of the 215-foot Rockaway tower.
The Marine Park falcons are one of three falcon families being monitored. Unhatched eggs remain on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Brooklyn tower, as well as at the Throgs Neck Bridge Queens tower.
Peregrine falcons nearly became extinct in the 1960s as a result of pesticides in their food supply, and remain on the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation endangered birds list, which is why when the chics are a few weeks old they get banded.
The bandings took place on May 20 when the falcon chicks were about three weeks old. The identifying bands don’t hurt the birds and help wildlife experts keep track of the number of peregrines in the city and identify them in case they become sick or injured, MTA shared.
