Baby Falcons at the Throgs Neck Bridge

Here's some feel-good news, courtesy of the MTA. It's a set of peregrine falcon chicks at the Throgs Neck Bridge! A wildlife expert from the DEP, Chris Nadareski, examined and tagged the chicks, all of which are female. And while the baby falcons are super cute, they are getting ready to grow up:

The Throgs Neck chicks have been growing steadily, and eat about four or five times a day. Their diet consists of pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, blue jays and other small birds caught by their mother. Their talons are already nearly as big as a man’s hand. In another three weeks they will begin to practice flying atop the tower but will remain dependent on their parents for protection and food for another eight weeks.

Nadareski said it is not unusual for falcons to choose bridges to build their nests since they historically live on high cliffs where they can watch for prey and have plenty of open space to hunt.

We've included a picture of Nadareski and one of the falcon chicks after the jump so you can see how big the chicks are (they aren't the kind of bird you bring home and try to raise in a coop in your apartment just because). And did you know that the Throgs Neck Bridge is sort of named after the 17th century settler John Throckmorton?

Photographs by MTA Bridges and Tunnels Maintainer Danny Castoria