A naming contest for the peregrine falcon chicks atop the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge is open to third- to sixth-graders across Rockland and Westchester counties who can 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 contest is a partnership between the New York State Thruway Authority and Veolia, a water supplier in the two counties.
A pair of peregrine falcons call a nest box atop a bridge tower — some 400 feet above the Hudson River — their seasonal home. The female falcon laid her first egg in mid-March. Three more eggs followed within the week. As of April 29, all the eggs had hatched and there were four chicks in the nest box. Unfortunately, last year’s clutch of eggs did not hatch.
Teachers and students also can submit a poster or short video explaining the reason behind their submission.
The contest deadline is May 10. A panel of judges will then review the entries and select the top 10 finalists for the public online poll, which will go live on the bridge’s website on Wednesday, May 15. Voting will be open for a week, closing on Wednesday, May 22. The winning names will be announced before Memorial Day weekend.
The bridge will be lit in the colors of the winning school(s) in June and the winning classroom(s) will be invited to a special presentation featuring a certified falconer.
Nest boxes have supported New York’s falcon population in recent decades, providing shelter and high vantage points from which the peregrines can search for food.
