Peregrine Falcon Urban Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Peregrine falcons have successfully colonised urban environments across the UK and Europe. Their welfare in cities differs from rural populations in important ways.

Key Facts

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) now nest on buildings, bridges, and church towers in many UK cities
Urban peregrines feed primarily on feral pigeons and starlings, with food generally abundant year-round
Urban nest sites can be monitored by webcams - some like the Derby Cathedral peregrines attract hundreds of thousands of viewers
Chicks in urban nest sites risk falling to the ground before fledging - volunteer schemes rescue and rehabilitate fallen fledglings
Urban peregrines face threats from pigeon-control operations including dazed pigeons with pesticides
Collision with glass, vehicles, and wires causes injury and death to dispersing young peregrines
Urban light pollution may disrupt prey-catching behaviour and breeding timing

Welfare Considerations

Urban peregrines present a remarkable welfare success story - a top predator adapting to exploit human-modified landscapes. However, urban-specific welfare threats are real. Grounded fledglings discovered by the public are frequently handled incorrectly or taken to inappropriate wildlife carers. Pigeons treated with alpha-chloralose or other stupefying agents for pest control can poison the peregrines that catch them. Volunteer monitoring schemes play an important welfare role by enabling rapid response to injured or grounded birds.

What You Can Do

If you find a grounded peregrine, contact your local wildlife rehabilitator or RSPB - do not attempt to handle it yourself unless essential
Follow local urban peregrine projects on social media for webcam updates and fledging news
Report suspected bird-of-prey poisoning to the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) or police
Advocate against use of stupefying agents for pigeon control in areas with known peregrine populations