Leicester Peregrines - Monitoring the Peregrines of Leicester Cathedral

The Leicester Peregrine Project is a collaboration between the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society (LROS) and Leicester City Council (LCC). The objective is to Identify, Monitor and Promote the Conservation of Peregrines within Leicester and it’s environs.

Next Peregrine Watch Day:

Wednesday 9 August 2017 at 09:30, St Martin’s Square

Working Together in Partnership
In February 2014, a partnership between LROS and LCC was formed called Leicester Peregrines to monitor the habits and activities of a known pair of Peregrine Falcons in Leicester city centre. A group of volunteers from LROS started surveying the city and noticed the birds frequenting a number of tall buildings. These included Leicester Cathedral, the Old Lewis’s Tower, the Cardinal Building (BT Tower) and St Georges (Blue) Tower. It quickly became apparent that the Leicester Peregrines were intent on breeding.

Unfortunately, the location of the nest was less than secure and the decision was made to erect a number of artificial nest boxes on various buildings to try and entice the birds to a safer location.

With the agreement of Leicester Cathedral and after the input of an independent Urban Peregrine expert, a 5-star nest platform was erected on the east facing side of the Cathedral spire. Although the birds did not breed there in 2016, both the adults and the two juveniles could often be seen either on the platform or on one of the spire crosses.

We hope that the Leicester Peregrines will take to the nesting platform in 2017.

Female Peregrine Leicester Cathedral 26/07/2016 © David Gray