The first of four eggs laid this year, hatched on Thursday 27 April, with the other three likely to follow very soon.
Peregrines have been nesting on the cathedral tower since 2006 and the famous Derby peregrine webcams enable viewers to watch them live.
(C) Jean White
Nick Brown, Wildlife Enquiries Officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, set up the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project. Speaking about the chicks, he said:
"We are absolutely thrilled to have our first chicks of 2023 hatching. Our supporters have been watching closely via the webcams and saw the first glimpse of a hole in one egg on Thursday morning.
“We are all so excited to be able to watch the chicks grow to full adult size over the next 6-7 weeks. It's remarkable to see how delicately the female feeds her tiny chicks despite being such a powerful predator, and on an all meat diet with no water at all!”
Peregrine falcons are the world’s fastest animal, able to reach speeds of up to 200mph when diving down onto prey. They nest in high places such as urban towers and rural cliffs. They have excellent binocular vision allowing them to see prey from as far as 3km away.
The Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project is a partnership between Derby Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter, Derby City Council, and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, which manages the project.
