Peregrines began moving into UK cities after their populations recovered in the 1990s, following a decline largely due to persecution and widespread pesticide use. The earliest record of a peregrine using a building for breeding is at Salisbury Cathedral in 1864. Now, peregrines have been recorded nesting at over 200 urban locations countrywide. A pair have been nesting in Cambridge City since 2015 and have had eight successful years of breeding.
Peregrines hunt a variety of prey species in urban areas. Typically, the most important prey species for these falcons is feral pigeons as they are a populous species in urban areas. They have also cohabited with peregrine falcons since both species were cliff dwellers before moving into urban areas. A 2008 study of the prey selection of peregrines found that pigeons and doves made up 47% of the diet of the peregrines studied (Drewitt & Dixon, 2008).
Peregrines are also known to hunt at night and therefore also catch a number of species that migrate over cities at night. Remains of prey species found in Cambridge have included teal, golden plover, snipe, woodcock all species that migrate nocturnally over the city. The image above shows one of our ecologists reviewing the feeding remains of a peregrine on the rooftops of Cambridge to see what bird species they have been preying on.
Refs: Drewitt, E. & Dixon, N. (2008) Diet and prey selection of urban-dwelling Peregrine Falcons in southwest England. British Birds: 101, 58-67.