2. The Bridge Falcons
The high bridges and skyscrapers of New York City make the perfect home for a population of Peregrine Falcons. These predatory birds, native to the East Coast, can be found nesting on the Brooklyn Bridge, Verrazano Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, George Washington Bridge, Metropolitan Life Building, Bank of New York, St. Regis Hotel, and Riverside Church. The high perches of New York City’s architecture and infrastructure offer the falcons a great vantage point for hunting their prey. From their lookouts, they can swoop down at speeds of 200 miles per hour!
New York City’s falcons were among the first animals to receive aid from the Endangered Species Act of 1973. According to the NYC Parks Department, over 145 falcons have been successfully hatched and banded by biologists since 1983. Now, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, while Peregrine Falcons are listed as an endangered species in New York State, New York City has the largest urban population of them.
