10 baby falcons hatch on Bayonne, George Washington, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridges in conservation win

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Ten baby falcons were welcomed to the Port Authority and MTA families when three hatched atop a tower in the shadow of the Bayonne Bridge, four hatched inside a George Washington Bridge tower and three more hatched at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and MTA Bridges and Tunnels released photos of the growing peregrine falcons on Friday, a testament to the transit agencies’ effort to provide homes in the form of nesting towers to the formerly endangered species.

After pesticides completely drove the birds from east of the Mississippi by the early 1960s, a ban on the culpable chemical and extensive breeding and reintroduction programs got them off the U.S. endangered species list in 1999; however, to this day, peregrine falcons remain endangered in New York state.

As a top predator and indicator species, the falcons are a bellwether for the overall environment. This has prompted a three-decade long collaboration between Port Authority, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the city Department of Environmental Protection to help falcon conservation and data collection. MTA Bridges and Tunnels joined the state nesting program in 1983.

Deputy director of Port Authority’s tunnels, bridges and terminals department Dennis Stabile said that the partnership “is a true testament to our commitment to environmental conservation,” and that “By working together, we ensure the safety and well-being of these majestic birds.”

Two boys and two girls were born at the George Washington Bridge’s New York Tower, about 400 feet above the Hudson River in mid-April, followed by two girls and a boy on top of a 45-foot tower in the Kill Van Kull waterway near the Bayonne Bridge, Port Authority officials said.

To watch the chicks on the Bayonne Bridge tower, view Port Authority and EarthCam’s livestream here .

Research scientist Chris Nadareski of the DEP banded the three Bayonne Bridge peregrine falcons, as well as three chicks that hatched on top of the 693-foot Brooklyn Tower of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, according to the transit agencies. The banding process causes the chicks no harm.

At five to six weeks old, all of the eyasses reach adult size and begin flapping their wings at the edge of their nests before taking first flight. Once grown, the falcons could decide to migrate down the Atlantic coast to Central or South America, travel as far west as Wisconsin or stay in the NYC area.

The banding will provide researchers with information on the species' survival, travel and population growth. With banding, wildlife experts are also able to track how many peregrine falcons are in the city and identify them in case of sickness or injury.