2 More Falcon Eggs Hatch At Cuomo Bridge

TARRYTOWN, NY — And babies make three.

Two more peregrine chicks have emerged from their eggs, making for a total number of three eyases living near the top of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

The latest hatchings were announced Tuesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the New York State Thruway Authority’s bridge account.

Progress of the chicks and the one remaining egg can be followed via the Thruway Authority’s live webcam. There is also a live video of the nest.

According to experts, falcons can lay from three to five eggs in the early spring, with hatching expected about a month later.

The Thruway is bringing back a contest to name the eyases, as the chicks are formally called, by partnering with Veolia.

Third- to sixth-grade students from Rockland and Westchester counties are invited to submit names until Wednesday, May 10. The public will vote on the finalists in a weeklong poll on the bridge’s website to select the winners.

The last naming contest, which was in 2021, produced Luke Flywalker, Talon Zee and Jimmy Falcon as the winning names.

Top vote-getters in years past included the winning names Cardi Beak, Bridge-ette and Hudson.

The location of the nest near the top of one of the bridge's 419-foot towers is ideal for peregrine falcons, experts said. The birds can hunt for food from the high spot, reaching speeds of more than 200 mph in a controlled dive.

The Thruway Authority adds a note of caution about watching the falcons. The public should remember that falcons are wild animals and the way they act reflects what happens in nature. Some of their actions may be unpleasant to watch, officials said, and some of the fledglings may not survive. In 2023, the resident falcons produced four eggs, none of which were viable.