Over the weekend the city welcomed some adorable new predators: two Peregrine falcon chicks! The siblings were born in a pebble-lined box on Central Park West, outside the apartment of NYCLASS Founder Steve Nislick's apartment. Nislick got some video footage of the chicks's first moments in the world, tended to by a very protective mother bird.
Though nearly eradicated from North America by rampant pesticide use, the magnificent birds have been making a comeback in New York City, and are often spotted nesting on the city's bridges.
It'll be a while before these fuzzballs are ready to hit the pavement, but when they do they'll be zeroing in on the city's pigeon population like winged missiles, capable of reaching speeds of nearly 70 miles per hour when diving for prey. Owners of small dogs may also want to be on guard.
