Two of Queens' newest community members are also the ones with the best view.
Two baby peregrine falcons are nesting above the Throgs Neck Bridge. The little birds hatched in May in their parents’ boxes, and are being cared for by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s Wildlife Studies division.
Both female, they were named “Skye” and “Bayside.”
Maintenance workers give the avian family some space for mating season, until the chicks can fly, since the mother falcon can become aggressive during those tender periods.
“We provide the nesting boxes and give the DEP wildlife expert access to check the eggs and band them but our primary goal is to just let them be,” said Verrazano-Narrows Maintenance Superintendent Daniel Fortunato.
The MTA’s falcon program began in 1983. Peregrine falcons nearly went extinct in the 1960s, according to the program, because of pesticides in the food supply. They are still on the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s endangered birds list.
What do you think of Queens' newest feathered residents? Tell us in the comments.
