15. The Famous Bridge Falcons

Did you know that many of New York City’s bridges are home to peregrine falcons? These bridge falcons have made nests atop the Brooklyn Bridge, Verrazano Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, and George Washington Bridge as well as buildings like the Metropolitan Life Building, Bank of New York, St. Regis Hotel, and Riverside Church. The high vantage points of these locations give the falcons a great view for hunting and a perfect starting point for dramatic dive-bombs toward their prey, which can be as fast as 200 miles per hour!

These birds are native to the East Coast and New York City has the highest concentration of Peregrine Falcons that can be found anywhere, according to Chris Nadareski of NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection. Many of these falcons also have names. Falcons found atop the Throgs Neck Bridge have been named Locust, Edgewater, and Bayside. They are almost all named after the area in which they reside.

Next, check out a few of NYC’s pet cafes and 5 Famous Birds of NYC