Birds of a Feather: Three Peregrine Falcons Recently Hatched at the South Grand Island Bridge

I mean how cute are these three peregrine falcons who recently hatched at the South Grand Island Bridge!?

With the help of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the chicks will be banded to track the livelihood of these endangered birds.

Since the late 1980s, the Thruway has had nesting boxes at several bridges across their 570-mile system which create a safe nesting zone away from human interference, while the falcons keep pigeons off the bridges.

Photo courtesy: NYSDEC

A bit about Peregrine Falcons courtesy Audubon.org; One of the world’s fastest birds; in power-diving from great heights to strike prey, the Peregrine may possibly reach 200 miles per hour. Regarded by falconers and biologists alike as one of the noblest and most spectacular of all birds of prey. Although it is found on six continents, the Peregrine is uncommon in most areas; it was seriously endangered in the mid-20th century because of the effects of DDT and other persistent pesticides.