The Peregrines Peak

My Story

The peregrine falcon, a magnificent, large and powerful bird that is renowned for its speed. Not only is it the fastest bird (320km/h or 200mph) it is also the fastest member of the animal kingdom!.... cool, right? Yep, and the other day I saw not 1 but 2 in my home city, Chester. I had heard from documentaries on the TV that peregrines were adapting to the urban city life such as the tall sky scrapers in New York City. However, I did not think there would be any in the small, old fashioned city of Chester but as usual I was wrong and nature surprised me once again.

I had heard from the locals that peregrines were about but I never thought I’d be lucky enough to see them for myself. One morning though I received a message from a friend who was on their way out to do some local wildlife photography. On their way out the city, right by a large supermarket and a fast food restaurant, were two peregrine falcons sat upon a pylon digging into their recently caught dinner. I did a speed walk to the area and brought my camera with me. To my surprise they were still there when I arrived, they were just finishing the meal they had caught. I got very lucky and managed to pull off a few decent shots as they flew off.

Seeing the falcons got me thinking… it’s not just major cities like New York that these birds are adapting to, it’s cities in general a bit like how we see pigeons in every town or city we ever visit. Who knows maybe peregrines will become common and familiar. Anyway, that’s my story of seeing a peregrine for the first time but lets talk about the falcons.

The Urban Peregrine

In 2006 a study revealed that peregrines who live on skyscrapers in New York City hunt on migratory birds at night. This is interesting as they would usually hunt during the day, using the sunlight to help them spot potential predators. However, even though they hunt at night it is not dark! The lights that illuminate from the buildings create an open hunting ground for the falcons who have learned to use this to their advantage.

Migratory birds will sometimes choose to migrate during the night under the cover of darkness. The problem for them is that the migratory paths lead right over the city and the lights from the buildings cause confusion and sometimes they actually collide with the buildings. Peregrines however have gotten used to the harsh midnight light and are now using it to hunt. This shows how urban peregrines are changing drastically in comparison with their rural counterparts because they are phasing their hunting periods into the night and becoming semi-nocturnal. A new study in 2018 revealed that peregrines in cities are laying more eggs and have higher breeding success, with more young surviving into adulthood. This is all because of their new urban diet.

I have not covered this subject in much detail but there is a reference at the bottom for anyone who would like to know more. Just remember that your own town/city may have a few unexpected surprises. I was surprised when I came across the peregrines of Chester, so expect the unexpected.

DeCANDIDO, R. O. B. E. R. T., & Allen, D. (2006). Nocturnal hunting by peregrine falcons at the empire state building, New York City. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 118(1), 53-58.