For being on the brink of extinction at one point in time, peregrine falcons are sure thriving in big cities.
According to The Queens Courier, nine falcon chicks recently hatched at several locations around New York City.
This is such great news because peregrine falcons nearly vanished from the wild after poison from DDT slipped into their ecosystem from food sources.
The poison caused their eggs to become so fragile that even incubating them with their own weight caused the eggs to crack.
Although peregrine falcons were finally taken off the Federal Endangered Species list in the 90s, the birds remain endangered in New York City.
They thrive in city life because there is no competition for the most desired ledges, there are a lot of rats and pigeons to feed on and there is a great view.
For those who know New York City and are interested in catching a glimpse of these birds, the article explained where each batch was hatched:
Four were born inside a World War II gun turret 215-feet up on the Rockaway tower of the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge. The birds were named Rocky, Floyd, Marine and Breezy in honor of their locale.
Three boys were born atop the Bronx tower at the Throgs Neck Bridge and named Locust, Edgewater and Bayside by Throgs Neck employees in honor of the Bronx and Queens communities near that bridge, said General Manager Ed Wallace.
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Two girls were also born atop the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and named Rose in honor of Staten Island’s Rosebank neighborhood and Sunset for the neighborhood in Brooklyn.
There was also a recent special segments on peregrine falcons living in Chicago from ABC 7 News that’s worth a read.
Ultimately, falcons tend to nest in the same spots every year, so there is a good chance each year the populations of peregrine falcons in the city will continue an upward trajectory.
If you’re interested in learning more about the process of branding and tracking these amazing birds, watch this absolutely amazing video from atop the Throgs Neck Bridge.
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That was Nice