<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Until relatively recently Peregrines have been regarded as a rural bird. As their populations have increased over the past 20 years, Peregrines have increasingly become urban birds. One of the earliest locations to be occupied by Peregrines in the UK was on a church in Exeter, in the county of Devon. Over the past 20 years we have studied their diet, collecting prey remains on a regular basis. The results reveal that Feral Pigeons <italic>Columba livia</italic> comprise one third of the diet by frequency and just over half of the diet when measured by mass. The remainder of the diet comprises a wealth of other species including wading birds, other doves and pigeons, ducks, gulls and terns, and rails. A selection of species eaten by the Peregrines reveal that they are hunting at night, taking certain wading birds, rails and grebes, that would be difficult to catch by day and are known to migrate at night. This study is the most comprehensive to date and reveals that while the Feral Pigeon is an important part of the diet, contrary to public opinion, it is by no means the only species that Peregrines eat. In fact, the remaining half of the diet, by mass, comprised 101 other species of bird and three species of mammal. Such dietary studies help dispel myths about peregrines feeding habits and ensure that their conservation and protection is based on evidence.</p></abstract>

Until relatively recently Peregrines have been regarded as a rural bird. As their populations have increased over the past 20 years, Peregrines have increasingly become urban birds. One of the earliest locations to be occupied by Peregrines in the UK was on a church in Exeter, in the county of Devon. Over the past 20 years we have studied their diet, collecting prey remains on a regular basis. The results reveal that Feral Pigeons Columba livia comprise one third of the diet by frequency and just over half of the diet when measured by mass. The remainder of the diet comprises a wealth of other species including wading birds, other doves and pigeons, ducks, gulls and terns, and rails. A selection of species eaten by the Peregrines reveal that they are hunting at night, taking certain wading birds, rails and grebes, that would be difficult to catch by day and are known to migrate at night. This study is the most comprehensive to date and reveals that while the Feral Pigeon is an important part of the diet, contrary to public opinion, it is by no means the only species that Peregrines eat. In fact, the remaining half of the diet, by mass, comprised 101 other species of bird and three species of mammal. Such dietary studies help dispel myths about peregrines feeding habits and ensure that their conservation and protection is based on evidence.

A 20-year study investigating the diet of Peregrines, <italic>Falco peregrinus</italic>, at an urban site in south-west England (1997–2017)

Ornis Hungarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

A 20-year study investigating the diet of Peregrines, , at an urban site in south-west England (1997–2017)

Until relatively recently Peregrines have been regarded as a rural bird. As their populations have increased over the past 20 years, Peregrines have...

A 20-year study investigating the diet of Peregrines, Falco peregrinus, at an urban site in south-west England (1997–2017)

Published Online: Feb 14, 2019

Page range: 177 - 187

Received: Aug 19, 2018

Accepted: Dec 21, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/orhu-2018-0027

Keywords
prey, food, nocturnal, hunting, church

© 2018 Nick Dixon et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

A 20-year study investigating the diet of Peregrines, Falco peregrinus, at an urban site in south-west England (1997–2017)

Published Online: Feb 14, 2019

Page range: 177 - 187

Received: Aug 19, 2018

Accepted: Dec 21, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/orhu-2018-0027

Keywordsprey, food, nocturnal, hunting, church

© 2018 Nick Dixon et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
prey, food, nocturnal, hunting, church