Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Water Street's Baby Falcons Tagged

By Ben Fractenberg | May 12, 2011 1:33pm | Updated on May 13, 2011 5:41pm

By Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Three baby Peregrine falcons that recently hatched atop a Financial District office building got ID tags from the Department of Environmental Protection Thursday.

The falcons, which hatched three weeks ago, live inside a nest on the 14th floor of 55 Water Street with their mother and father, named Jubilee and Rocky. A fourth hatchling was deemed too small to tag by the DEP and will get one at a later date.

Experts said the tags could come in handy as the birds get ready to fly for the first time — which could happen by the end of May.

"In the falcons' maiden flight, they often will end up in trouble," said DEP research scientist Christopher Nadareski. "If someone picks them up and they are not banded, we may not know where they are from."

Nadareski said the bands also help the state track the birds throughout their lives, charting how many offspring they have and any health issues they may encounter.

The baby falcons were named Thursday after service members injured or killed overseas and first responders killed on 9/11, a spokeswoman for 55 Water Street said.

Two were dubbed "Schattuck," for a special ops member wounded in Afghanistan and "Jordan," for Long Island soldier Jordan Haerter, who was killed in Iraq.

"Hope" was named by the daughters of two first responders killed on 9/11, Det. Joseph Vigiano and Firefighter John Vigiano. "Austin" was named for Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Austin, who was wounded in Afghanistan.

A building representative said the tenants all love the falcons.

"It gives us something different," said Frank Magnani, Vice President of Special Projects for 55 Water. "We wanted to give something back to the environment."

The building hasn't yet named the baby falcons, but said it plans to name them after wounded or killed soldiers.

Falcons have been living on the 14th floor of the building since the 1990s. The original couple, Jack and Diane, produced 19 offspring during their tenure at 55 Water Street.