2017 for me will go down as one of the busiest ever when it comes to peregrine fledging time in London, to date no less than 15 have grounded/ or become trapped somewhere on high rise buildings.
For such a powerful high profile bird, juveniles, especially in the 1st - 2nd week of fledging, are incredibly vulnerable. If they come down behind glass/a wall, many times they simply do not have the wing strength/agility to exit. Stamina and vertical take off capability during this stage, to clear obstructions, is not always there unfortunately.
Even low obstacles like the glass below they struggle to clear, they are simply to tired from flying.
Hence if they are not located many will just get weaker and starve, however many are found by the public so hats off to them.
The numbers obviously reflect good density in London but it does make you think just how hard and dangerous fledging can be for urban peregrines, without the help of the public, RSPCA and the South Essex Wildlife Hospital and other various organizations, none of these birds would likely have made it.
The grounders, unless they can get airborne again quickly, often fall prey to urban Foxes or simply disappear and are lost. If they have come down from a long way up, it’s a hard job working your way back up in the City especially if it’s all glass/metal buildings all around with nowhere to land/rest safely and take a breather.
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| Released back and raring to go |
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| Juvenile on camera |
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| Releasing 2 back with Paul |
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| Stuck behind glass but luckily seen by the owner of the flat |
Many modern buildings are simply not peregrine friendly let alone nature friendly, the standard on every building in London should be a Brown/Green Roof/Wall at the very least.
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