These are some talon-ted dads.
Two superfly peregrine falcons were rightly perched on a pedestal this past Father’s Day for fiercely protecting their newborn hatchings in their sky-high nests above the Hudson River and Kill Van Kull.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey gave a special shoutout Sunday to the new dads, who call the George Washington and the Bayonne bridges home.
A fearless peregrine falcon father sits atop the George Washington Bridge. PANYNJ“Both falcon fathers have kept watch, brought food, and protected their growing families from the heights of two of the region’s most iconic bridges,” the agency crowed.
The stellar fathers have each been faithfully attached to their feathery tots, who hatched hundreds of feet in the sky in the spring.
There are five total peregrine falcon chicks — technically known as eyasses — between the two dads. Two male and one female chick live on the George Washington Bridge, while one male and one female are atop the Bayonne Bridge.
Five falcon chicks were born this spring in nesting towers on the George Washington and Bayonne bridges. PANYNJThe babies have not yet been named but were recently banded, which helps conservationists track the birds, gathering data on their health and the condition of the overall population.
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The families have been living in nesting towers atop the bridges, which are made to mimic the cliffside habitats the endangered birds used to rely on.
Another trio of babies was born 693 feet above the Hudson on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in May. The spans connect the city to New Jersey.
The nesting towers are made to mimic the seaside cliffs that peregrine falcons used to rely on. PANYNJ
The babies were recently banded so that conservationists can track them, gathering data on their health and the condition of the overall population.
PANYNJ
There are only an estimated 3,000 peregrine falcones across North America. PANYNJAll of the bird babies’ mommas have been busy, too — as both parents share the hunting and feeding responsibilities. The females spend the last month keeping the eggs warm before they hatch.
There are only an estimated 3,000 peregrine falcons across North America, though populations have been steadily growing over the past decade, according to the National Parks Service.
“The hatchings mark another success in the long-standing effort to protect peregrine falcons in New York, where they remain listed as endangered,” the Port Authority said.
The newborns will stay with their parents in their skyscraper homes for about six weeks before they begin developing their own flying and hunting skills.
