Falcons Nesting On Cuomo Bridge Waiting For Chicks To Hatch

TARRYTOWN, NY — It's called the waiting game now. The new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge's two peregrine falcons are waiting to see whether any or all of the eggs that were laid hatch. They are the first occupants of the nest box installed near the top of one of the bridges 419-foot towers. A webcam was installed in it to document the lives of the migratory raptors.

The webcam is live and available online here. Use the controls to replay or advance the frames.

Peregrine falcons previously nested in a box on top of the old Tappan Zee Bridge, but that was removed after last year's nesting season so the bridge could be demolished.

The falcons typically lay three to five eggs in the early spring, with chicks, called eyases, hatching one month later. So it could be any day now that we see signs of chicks trying to get out of their shells.

The man-made nest box in the new bridge was specifically designed for the needs of the falcons. The new box is about 150 feet higher than the one that was installed on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

The Thruway Authority said that the FalcomCam provides an unfiltered window on the day-to-day lives of these birds of prey. At any given moment, you could see the adult falcons eating, feeding their young, defending their nest and more. Because these are wild birds, their behaviors reflect what really happens in nature, and some of their actions may be unpleasant to watch.

It is also possible that some of the fledglings may not survive to adulthood.

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