3 falcon chicks hatch atop the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City

NEW YORK — Three peregrine falcon chicks have hatched in a nest built at the top of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City, officials said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges and Tunnels said Friday that the chicks hatched in a nesting box set up by the agency atop a 693-foot-tall (211-meter-tall) tower on the bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Officials check on the nest each year around the end of May to put identifying bands on the falcon chicks to help keep track of how many peregrines are in the city and to identify them if they get sick.

The three chicks were banded Friday and are about three weeks old, according to a statement.

Peregrine falcons in the city tend to nest at high points such as bridges and church steeples because they provide a good spot for the birds to spot prey. Peregrines are on the state's endangered bird list.