First look at the 2021 peregrine falcon chicks

One of the peregrine falcon chicks being ringed

Two peregrine falcon chicks have hatched this year to the nesting pair at Rochdale Town Hall.

Rochdale Borough Council confirmed that the duo – a male and a female – have been ringed before they were returned to their nest.

Due to restoration work taking place at Rochdale Town Hall, there has not been a live webcam stream of Rochdale’s famed peregrine falcons, which usually attracts viewers from all over the country.

The council’s live webcam usually provides an eagle-eyed view of the peregrine falcons nesting at the town hall, between March and August each year, but due to the work taking place to improve the Grade-I listed building, it has not been possible to broadcast the live stream this year.
 

Read more: No peregrine falcon webcam for 2021 due to town hall improvementsPublished: 23 March 2021

Often spotted soaring above the town centre, the falcons are most active at the start of the breeding season during February and March. Egg-laying typically happens around late March or early April, whilst the chicks usually hatch during the first week of May.

Peregrine falcons have been nesting at the clock tower for over a decade. The council built a nesting area for the birds in 2008, providing them with a safe place to sleep, breed and raise their chicks.