I live in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn at the foot of the Verrazano Bridge. Each spring I notice two falcons flying to the top of the Brooklyn Tower of the bridge. Here is their story.

I took this pic from my terrace.

Peregrine falcons are the fastest animal in the world, capable of flying at 200 miles per hour while hunting for prey. They were nearly wiped out in New York in the 1960s owing to the widespread use of deadly pesticides like DDT, which infected their food supply. In the 70s and 80s, the state released captive falcons into the wild, hoping they would breed and restore the species, which is still listed as endangered.

Falcons prefer building their nests in high places, like atop bridges or skyscrapers, but they do not build secure stick nests for their young like other birds, so the eggs are in danger of falling.

As such, state agencies have built boxes filled with gravel in popular nesting areas atop bridges and in other high perches, aimed at keeping the falcon young safe at the most vulnerable time of their lives. Aside from the Verrazano, falcon nests sit atop the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Bridge and on every crossing of the Hudson River south of Albany.

May 6 - Three fluffy white peregrine falcon chicks hatched inside a nest (box) built by the MTA atop the nearly 700-foot-tall Brooklyn Tower of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

May 24 - Department of Environmental Protection scientist Chris Nadareski climbed to the top of the Brooklyn tower to affix identifying bands on the birds, for research purposes and to monitor for sickness or injury. Nadareski returns to the site each year for banding, as peregrine falcons tend to lay their eggs in the same nesting spot over and over. Other than banding, the state generally leaves the birds alone.

Peregrine falcons predominantly feast on a diet of smaller birds like pigeons, which are in plentiful supply in New York. As of 2019, there were 25 breeding pairs of peregrine falcons living in the city, which according to state officials may be the largest number of falcons in any city on Earth. The falcons are among dozens of species of wildlife who are raising their young in Brooklyn.

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