A falcon is a raptor/bird of prey that is adapted for very fast flight and taking prey in midair. They are known for their ability to hunt their prey; with their sharp talons, hooked beaks and amazing eyesight. They have long narrow wings and are more aerodynamic in shape. There are four types of Falcons in the UK: Peregrine, Kestrel, Hobby and Merlin. 

The female (Falcon) is medium sized, slate grey, darker head and mustache like markings on white face. They have yellow skin around the eyes, beak and feet. They have dark barring on their chest. The male (Tiercel) has the same features; however, it is a third smaller than the female and has a whiter chest with less barring.

A juvenile Peregrine’s plumage differs to the adult. The feathers are a darker brown with a lighter brown chest. Their chest and legs are streaked rather than barred and the yellow skin is duller in colour. 

They are the larger of the falcon species here in the UK. The females are a third larger than the males with a wingspan of 930-1000mm, while the males are 785-890mm. They can weigh over 1kg.

Peregrines almost exclusively eat birds. They have been known to eat … different species of birds. Because the female is larger, she will prey on larger birds while the male will eat a variety of smaller birds. They eat a variety of birds depending on where they are located from woodland, wading and seabirds. Some bird species include pigeons, gulls, swifts, starlings and corvids to name a few. 

The Peregrine Falcon will fly above their prey and go into a stoop dive. They close their wings and drop through the air at speeds of up to 200mph. They use their talons to kill their prey on impact or use their tomial tooth to break the neck of their prey. 

In rural areas Peregrines would nest on cliff edges. Urban buildings are a great alternative for Peregrines to nest on, where alternatively they would nest on cliffs. The taller the building the better, as they have a vantage point for hunting. Cities are a great hunting ground for Peregrines as there is an abundance of food, and a large area for them to cover.  Peregrines do not build nests, instead they create little scrapes on the ground. Nest boxes/platforms can provide a safe place for Peregrines to lay their eggs on buildings where there is not an appropriate, flat area for the Peregrines to use.

Typically, Peregrines will lay up to 5 eggs. This usually happens at the end of March and can take a week from the first to last egg being laid. 

Once the eggs have been laid, the male and female Peregrines will take it in turns to incubate the eggs for 28-36 days. 

Around five weeks after hatching the chicks will fledge. They will then stick around while the adults teach them how to hunt. The juveniles usually stick around until the Autumn and then will have to fend for themselves. 

The juvenile Peregrine will travel as far as it needs to in order to find its own territory and breeding grounds. One of our Peregrine chicks from Bath ended up in Norwich, and one of our Norwich chicks ended up in Glasgow!

Peregrines that are resident in the UK tend not to migrate. They are territorial birds and will guard and return to the same nest site if possible. 

A juvenile Peregrine will have brown plumage for 18 months-2 years before it gets its grey adult plumage.

Peregrine Falcons were endangered in the UK and many other parts of the world due to a chemical called DDT which was used in the 60s as pesticide. This affected the food chain and caused issues for Peregrines, such as killing them or effecting their eggshells which was decreasing the number of Peregrine chicks being raised. Since DDT was banned and there have been efforts to protect Peregrine Falcons, they are now green listed species and there are 1750 breeding pairs in the UK. 

On average a Peregrine Falcon lives for 5-6 years old. This does vary and there are records of up to 14 years old. The mortality rate in a Peregrine’s first year of life is high, with up to 60% dying in their first year. After their first year there is an 80% chance of survival. 

Peregrines will start to breed at 2 years old.

This will depend on their environment and availability of food. If there is an abundance of food and they do not have to search far to find it their territory may be smaller. If food is scarce, they may hunt further afield from their nest site. In the winter when there are no chicks, they may hunt further away from their nest site. 

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal in the world. When in stoop (diving) they can reach speeds of up to 322km (200 miles) per hour. 

The platform is 200ft high, placed halfway up the Cathedral spire.

We have in the past, however, we have not ringed the Peregrines at Norwich Cathedral for a number of years. There are several factors to consider when making the decision to ring them. There is a very small window of time where you can ring them, when they are small enough to handle, but also old enough to put the ring on. A licensed ringer must be on hand to do this. The platform at Norwich is 200ft in the air and there is a chance you could scare the chicks who could fall from the nest. 

We periodically check the platform is structurally safe and maintain the gravel in the box. 

The Peregrine nest platforms are built in all different shapes and sizes. It really depends on the location of the box and the building it is being attached to. The Norwich Cathedral platform does not have a roof as it has been placed below the window of the spire to imitate more of a natural ledge such as a clifftop. 

Over the years there have been varying degrees of success with the number of chicks fledging from Norwich Cathedral. There are a number of things that influence the success rate: 

• The mortality rate in a Peregrine’s first year of life is high, with up to 60% dying in their first year.
• If the adult Peregrines are inexperienced, they may not look after the chicks effectively
• If there is extreme weather in the early days and the chicks get wet and cold this could affect whether they survive or not.
• There are a number of diseases that could affect them, including bird flu. There are also blood and tissue parasites from birds such as pigeons that are passed from adult to chick. It would not necessarily harm the adult Peregrine but could be deadly to the chick as they have a weaker immune system. 

The box was put up in 2011 after the Cathedral staff noticed Peregrine Falcons in the area. The box was put up with the help of the local fire service. There has been a pair of Peregrine Falcons nesting at the Cathedral ever since. There have been 33 successful fledglings from this site.