Baby falcons named after 9/11 first responders and U.S. soldiers
Four baby falcons nesting in lower Manhattan were named Thursday after first responders who died in 9/11 and U.S. soldiers killed or injured overseas.
The peregrine falcons hatched three weeks ago on the eaves of 55 Water Street - also the headquarters of Hope for Warriors, an organization that supports wounded service members, their families and families of the fallen.
Tina Atherall, the organization's vice president, decided to name three of the falcons in honor of servicemen.
The fourth falcon was dubbed Hope, a name chosen by the daughters of two brothers who were 9/11 first responders, NYPD detective Joseph Vigiano and FDNY fireman John Vigiano.
"I remember one family member saying, 'It's like they're protecting the city again,'" Atherall said.
The three other falcons were named "Austin," after Gunnery Sergeant Matthew Austin, who was wounded in Afghanistan; "Shattuck," after a special ops member who was injured in Afghanistan and has returned to service; and "Jordan," after Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter, a Long Island native who was killed in Iraq in 2008.
Naming baby falcons has become an annual tradition. Each year about four eggs hatch on the building.
When the falcons are 3 weeks old, a Department of Environmental Protection worker determines their gender and puts a band on each of the birds to track them.
"To me it's more than just a name being thrown on a bird," Atherall said. "There's a bigger meaning to it all."
NY Daily News
