Eco Comment – Wakefield Cathedral Peregrines

This week I am delighted to welcome a new voice to our Eco Comment. A chance meeting at the Rhubarb Festival resulted in a fascinating insight into many things with a wildlife focus and in particular the peregrines that nest on our cathedral tower. Over a very long coffee in Mocha Moocha two of us from the Eco Group learnt so much about creatures that might well live in or near our cathedral. It really is going to be a ‘watch this space’ for new initiatives, from aphids and bats to invertebrates and jackdaws. We learnt so much and now have even more ideas as to how we can improve opportunities for wildlife in our small spaces. 

So in the week when the peregrines have, in recent years laid their eggs; please read on for an insight into how and why we have peregrines in our city … 

Wakefield Cathedral has played an important part in helping an iconic species – the peregrine falcon – to recover from a catastrophic decline in population caused by human activities. 

The story begins in the 1940s, when a new synthetic insecticide called DDT started to become widely used. DDT was very effective and it was a big help in giving farmers the ability to feed the British population during the second world war and in the following years. It seemed that this chemical was a fantastic new development but, sadly, what also became apparent during the 60s and 70s was that it was causing serious harm to animals at the top of food pyramids, i.e. the apex predators, such as the peregrine falcon. 

Peregrine falcons, the world’s fastest animal (fact checked), nest on ledges on cliffs, around the British coastline and in mountainous areas. They are very faithful to these nest sites, returning to use them year after year over many decades, but people noticed that peregrines were disappearing from their old haunts. Scientists then found that DDT was accumulating in the tissues of the peregrines and causing them to lay thin-shelled eggs that broke when incubated. Peregrines were in big trouble. 

A complete ban on the use of DDT allowed the peregrine population to recover. Peregrines began to reoccupy abandoned sites and something interesting happened at the same time: peregrines started to move into cities, where they were attracted to tall buildings with suitable ledges, such as cathedrals. To peregrines, these buildings were just like cliffs. Wakefield Cathedral was one such cathedral. 

The cathedral’s spire provides a lofty vantage point for birds that hunt other birds in flight and you will often be able to see at least one peregrine sitting on the crockets. However, peregrines also need a ledge on which to nest and in January, 2014 a box was installed on the tower to provide a suitable flat surface. Peregrines chose not to use the box in 2014 but a young male arrived in 2015. He attracted an older female and the two of them raised three chicks in that year. 

That young male is still in Wakefield and has now completed ten consecutive successful breeding seasons and he is preparing for his eleventh season. The original female was with him for eight seasons and, following her death, she was replaced by a new female two years ago. These three peregrines have raised a total of 31 young peregrines, which is well above average productivity, and those young birds have headed out to find breeding sites of their own. 

Many of Wakefield’s young peregrines have been fitted with coloured leg-rings and these have allowed us to receive news of sightings of birds as they go on their peregrinations. The sightings have shown that our birds disperse far and wide, with sightings coming in from places including Durham, Derbyshire, Scarborough and Lincoln. One of our young birds is breeding successfully in the center of Cambridge and it looks as though a female from the 2023 brood is preparing to breed on York Minster. 

Many people feel very attached to the cathedral’s peregrines but we are often reminded that they are wild birds, not domesticated ones. The birds have reminded us of this again recently because it appears that they have decided that they want to make their nest on County Hall this year. We are watching closely to see how things develop this year and we look forward to seeing how young peregrines from Wakefield will continue to contribute to the growth of the national peregrine population. 

Sue Morgan and Francis Hickenbottom 

The Eco group will be sharing more information on the peregrines at the Earth Day event at the Hepworth Gallery on April 27th 2025.