BRADFORD PEREGRINE TRAIL

Are these wild birds and why are they living in Bradford?

Yes they are completely wild birds and they have arrived in Bradford of their own accord, many years ago! Peregrine Falcons nest on cliffs and rocky outcrops and love a good view. It may be surprising to think of Peregrine Falcons living in cities, but a modern urban environment meets the Peregrine's habitat and food requirements very well. They are attracted by the tall buildings of Bradford which mimic high cliffs for them to nest on, and by the plentiful food supply of Feral Pigeons which are often their most common prey. Peregrines can be found in many other cities in the UK and around the world and it's worth noting that this is not a new phenomenon. As Peregrine expert Ed Drewitt comments for the Natural History Museum: "The earliest record of a peregrine using a building goes back to 1864/65 at Salisbury Cathedral, while in London peregrines used St Paul's Cathedral as early as 1921." Just as many other bird species have successfully adapted to living in our gardens, houses and cities, Peregrines have also become permanent residents of our urban spaces.

What is a Tiercel?

Tiercel is the name for a male Peregrine Falcon. Females are known simply as "Falcons". As with most birds of prey, Peregrines exhibit sexual dimorphism. In other words, the males appear different to the females. Differences in plumage are subtle, but the easiest way to separate them is on size and structure. Falcons are always larger and more strongly built than the Tiercels.

When is the best time of year to see a Peregrine?

Our Bradford Peregrines can be seen all year round and will remain faithful to a particular territory - which they will guard against other Peregrines who may seek to take the territory over. They are probably easiest seen in the Spring as they may move around a little more in the other seasons. In January to April Peregrines will become more active around their breeding site and you may see them displaying with acrobatic flight or performing courtship behaviour. March and April are great months to watch the birds. They usually lay eggs towards the end of April. May is often a quiet time for viewing as one parent will be out of sight incubating the eggs for most of the time. If you are lucky you might see a changeover of incubation duties. Late May and June are exciting times to watch if the eggs successfully hatch. The parents will be busy bringing in food to feed the youngsters and will keep a close eye on their family. Young birds will usually fledge the nest in June. The breeding season is the best time to see these birds, with lots of activity around the nesting area. After fledging the young birds will gradually disperse and there's usually a quieter period of viewing in mid-summer.

Why are you installing nest boxes?

Peregrine Falcons do not build a nest in the same way many other birds do. They make a shallow scrape in loose material in their chosen nesting location. If they nest on the ledge of a building they often have to lay their eggs onto bare stone. This leaves the eggs in danger of becoming chilled during the long incubation period. Eggs layed in gutters can become wet and chilled or when laid on bare stone they can roll around making it impossible for the adults to incubate them effectively. We install either a tray or half nestbox. The tray or box contains gravel, which provides a perfect material for the Peregrines to make a shallow scrape in and lay their eggs. A half covered nest box can provide some shelter from the elements in exposed locations. This approach has been shown to dramatically increase breeding success in other urban locations, and is used in cities around the world. We only install boxes in locations where Peregrines have taken up a territory and are seen frequently. Note that Peregrines are territorial and so are highly unlikely to nest within close proximity to other pairs. In an urban environment it's unusual to see nesting locations closer than around a mile and a quarter.

Are Peregrines in danger in an urban environment?

Peregrines are sadly often the victims of persecution and as a result receive the highest levels of protection under UK law. They are designated Schedule 1 birds. Harming them, or disturbing them while they are breeding, is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If you see any suspicious behaviour report it immediately by phoning the Police on 101 and asking for a Wildlife Crime Officer, contacting the RSPB Investigations Team and getting in touch with us.

 

We are fortunate that there are several CCTV cameras near where our Peregrines are nesting, and DNA testing makes it easy to identify birds taken illegally from the wild.

Young Peregrines can become grounded after fledging the nest. If you see a grounded Peregrine contact us immediately, and keep a close eye on the bird. We will rescue it and release it onto a nearby building where it can be fed by its parents.

Have I seen a Peregrine Falcon in my garden?

It's possible, but unlikely. Peregrines prefer to stay high above the city. If you have a bird of prey in your garden, it's much more likely to be a Sparrowhawk. Sparrowhawks have a yellow or orange eye and a white supercillium - the stripe above the eye. Peregrines have a black "bandit mask" and a black eye. Sparrowhawks are of course also stunning birds of prey that are exciting to see in your garden!

If you're sure you have got a Peregrine Falcon in your garden, it may need a helping hand. Get in touch immediately and we can advise on what to do.

Should I worry that there are too many birds of prey? What about the songbirds?

The Peregrine Falcon, like many other birds of prey, was near to extinction in the UK in the 1970s. Perescution by humans and the impact of pesticides in the food chain had a terrible impact on these amazing birds. Numbers of Peregrines, and other birds of prey, have been gradually recovering to their natural population levels, so this is nothing to worry about - in fact it's a much needed conservation success story. Peregrines are still heavily persecuted in the uplands, where some gamekeepers illegally kill them. They are also sometimes illegally killed in towns and cities, such as this Peregrine that was killed with a shotgun in Brighouse in 2020 and this one that was shot in Bingley in the same year.

Apex predators, like the Peregrine Falcon, play an important role in the ecosystem and will not have a detrimental impact on numbers of songbirds. Beware of misinformation from the shooting industry (which is sometimes responsible for illegal persecution of Peregrines) that suggests otherwise.

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Will the project have an impact on pigeon racers and pigeon fanciers?

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It is likely that the project will have at most a minimal impact on pigeon racers. Peregrine Falcons have been living in Bradford for many years. We aren't attracting them to the city, as they are already here. Our only aim and impact is to improve their breeding success, which is currently quite poor.

 

It is worth noting that there is a lot of misinformation in circulation on social media and it's better to be guided by far more trustworthy, peer reviewed science. Studies have shown that pigeon racers believe most of their losses are due to predation by raptors. The researchers go on to say that "these findings contrast with studies that have investigated racing pigeon deaths by investigating the diet of the raptors (Parrott et al. 2008) or pigeons taken to wildlife hospitals (Shawyer et al. 2003), where only a small proportion of losses were attributed to raptors." There are many other reasons that racing pigeons die, such as collision, terrestrial predators such as cats, disease, or natural causes.

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How do you get the project work right?

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We are certainly not perfect or infallible, but we aim to take an experience and science led approach. Most of our work is informed by Peregrine nestbox projects elsewhere in the country. Although we are a volunteer group, our membership includes many experienced birders, naturalists, raptor monitors and most importantly, fully qualified ecologists. We have good contacts with the wider community, and can draw on experience from colleagues at other urban Peregrine sites in Yorkshire, such as Leeds, Sheffield, York and Wakefield. We are also members of the People for Peregrines group which brings together raptor monitors from around the country. Finally, we also depend on invaluable experience from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB Investigations Team and Natural England (who funded the project).

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Bradford Council is facing finacial challenges, should Peregrines really be a priority?

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We would argue that conserving the natural world and giving the citizens of Bradford access to nature should be a priority, but it's worth noting that most of our work is completed by volunteers, and our funding has been kindly provided by Natural England. So our work, and our wonderful Peregrines, are bringing investment and value to the City.

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