The pair of peregrine falcons that live in a man-made nest box on the existing Tappan Zee Bridge became proud parents once again with the hatching of a nestling on April 10.
The New NY Bridge project team is inviting members of the public to help name the new falcon chick.
A week-long naming contest is now underway on the project’s Falcon Cam webpage. Rockland and Westchester students came up with the names.
Last year, thousands of people participated in voting for their favorite falcon names. The schools and classes that suggested the winning names were recognized with award certificates and commemorative posters of the falcons.
Soon after being dubbed “Hudson, Bridge-ette and Zee,” last year’s falcons learned how to hunt and survive on their own before leaving the nest.
Thanks to the cooperative efforts of several organizations and many volunteers, man-made nest boxes have steadily helped grow the state’s falcon population in recent decades. Before the old bridge is torn down, a similar nest box will be installed atop one the new bridge’s iconic towers for future falcons.
The nest box — installed and maintained by the New York State Thruway Authority — provides shelter and a high vantage point from which the peregrines can seek out and dive after prey. Capable of exceeding 200 miles per hour, peregrine falcons are the fastest members of the animal kingdom.
Please note: the FalconCam provides an unfiltered window on the day-to-day lives of these fascinating birds of prey. At any given moment, you may see the adult falcons eating, feeding their young, defending their nest and more. These are wild birds and their behaviors reflect what really happens in nature. Some of their actions may be unpleasant to watch and it is possible that some of the fledglings may not survive into adulthood.
