Norwich Cathedral Peregrines - FAQ's

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 clear out 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.