Ringing reveals trio of male falcon chicks

A trio of peregrine falcon chicks hatched on a cathedral roof have been revealed as all male during the ringing process.

The birds were born at a nesting platform on St Albans Cathedral after their parents' first set of eggs was crushed by a person in April.

Now they have been ringed they can be tracked in the future, but the process also involved logging their weight and sex for the first time.

Licenced bird-ringer and nest recorder Barry Trevis said: "We know from the webcam livestream that the parents have looked after the chicks well, so when we checked them over we saw that they were all in good condition."

"We fitted a ring on each of their legs. One is a British Trust for Ornithology metal ring, a bit like a licence tag, the other is a larger ring which is coloured orange with black lettering which means we'll be able to track them in years to come," he added.

A juvenile peregrine falcon, ringed at St Albans Cathedral last year, has been spotted at Port Meadow in Oxford.

Lea Ellis, the engagement manager at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, said: "It's great to know what happens to the chicks once they become independent and leave the nest.

"Thanks to the ringing process, we now know of sightings of two of them – their first chick, Artemis, was seen in Norfolk and now we have this fantastic news that one of last year's chicks looks to be making his territory in Oxfordshire."

The nest at St Albans is livestreamed by cameras on the cathedral's website.

In April viewers watched as an unknown person stood on eggs which has been recently laid in the nest.

Hertfordshire Police have not responded to a request for an update on the investigation, but have previously urged anybody with information related to the destroyed eggs to contact them.

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