It's A Chick! One Egg Hatches So Far At Cuomo Bridge

TARRYTOWN, NY — Of the four peregrine falcon eggs that were laid over the past few weeks high atop the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, one so far has hatched.

The hatching was announced Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the New York State Thruway Authority’s bridge account.

Anyone can follow the progress of the nest, the chick, the parents and the three remaining eggs via the Thruway Authority’s live webcam. There is also a live video of the nest.

The hatching of the egg is a marked improvement over last spring’s devastating failure of any of the nest’s four eggs to produce eyases, as the chicks are formally called.

Experts said that falcons usually can lay from three to five eggs in the early spring, with the eggs hatching about a month later.

The Thruway Authority said Monday that it is partnering with Veolia on a naming contest for the peregrine falcon chicks born at the bridge.

Third- to sixth-graders across 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 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.