Eleven baby peregrine falcons are taking in dramatic views of the city atop some of the area’s iconic bridges, the MTA said Thursday.
Four adorable chicks are now living in a nesting box almost 700 feet above the Verrazano-Narrows bridge, making their home in its Brooklyn tower, according to a spokeswoman.
Another four baby birds are keeping an eye on Queens and The Bronx atop the 360-foot Throgs Neck Bridge.
And three chicks are living on the Marine Parkway Bridge in the 215-foot-tall Rockaway tower.
Every year, wildlife expert Chris Nadareski of the city Department of Environmental Protection climbs the MTA bridges and puts bands on the chicks to track the number of peregrine falcons in the city. The birds are on the state’s endangered list.
Daniel Fortunado, the maintenance superintendent for the Verrazano, said his workers are very careful going to the top of the towers when the the falcons are nesting and learning how to fly.
“The mama bird in particular is very protective, so for the safety of our employees and the birds, we do our best to keep out of their way,” he said.
Falcons who nest in New York City have many different of birds to hunt, according to the Department of Environmental Protection– such as pigeons, blackbirds and blue jays.
Bridges and skycrapers are also ideal for falcons, which historically have lived in high cliffs in areas with a lot of hunting space.
They can fly up to speeds of 220 miles per hour, and live up to 15 years.