Tragic

During the week I received a call saying that they had 2 dead birds of prey which, were basically just skeletons, the flesh having long gone.

Arriving at the empty block of flats, the top floors had been empty for 3 years, I made my way up to the higher floors.

Sadly and rather tragically I came across the remains of 2 adult Peregrines, a pair, adult Tiercel and Falcon inside the Flat.

The Falcon did appear a shade lighter plumage and I suspect she was a youngish adult, possibly just into adult plumage, there was no pale fringing to feathers.

Falcon position on arriving

Falcon

Tiercel position

Both birds had starved to death it seems after becoming trapped in the Flat, I could even see their roost positions where they had sat looking for a way out.

It seems they had entered through an open window, why I don’t know, and they either couldn't find their way back out or the window somehow closed, wind possibly being at higher levels.

However it happened, it was an accident and shows the dangers at hand to urban peregrines, I am presuming that one bird went in and the other entered after seeing the other in distress unable to get back out?

It’s hard to imagine peregrines entering a flat anyway, even empty and it could be they were after a pigeon or saw a pigeon in there, there was not enough guano staining showing for it to be a regular inside roost.

Falcon - dead a long time

Roost/Perch positions looking for a way out.

More staining in another room

Tiercel - leg ring can be seen.

Sadly a mystery and an accident, they have starved to death likely a couple of years ago, I will be able to trace the Tiercel as he was ringed.