Juvenile peregrine from Leicester Cathedral project rehoused after rescue

A juvenile peregrine from Leicester Cathedral’s spire ended up in the care of Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital after repeated early flights away from the nest area forced wardens to intervene again and again. The bird, known as 4BB, was rescued for the fourth time before being assessed and rehoused for rehabilitation, with release back to the wild the next step once it is fit to go.

The Leicester Peregrines team said the chain of events began with disturbance near the nest site, where a male peregrine was reported to have unsettled the youngster. 4BB had already been released onto a nearby roof, but was later found grounded near Radio Leicester, prompting another rescue and the transfer to hospital care. The aim now is straightforward: give the bird time to recover, then return it to the city skyline only when it can safely fend for itself.

That rescue sits inside a much bigger urban falcon story. Leicester Cathedral’s long-running peregrine project is run by the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society with help from Leicester City Council, Leicester Cathedral and the King Richard III Centre. A nest platform went into the cathedral spire in 2016, and peregrines have been breeding there since 2017, turning one of the city’s most recognisable buildings into a regular nesting site for a top urban predator.

This year’s first egg was laid on Mothering Sunday, and the season has already seen one clean departure from the nest area. The Leicester Peregrines team said 4DB, the last juvenile to leave the cathedral nest in 2026, flew out on 6 June. 4BB’s later troubles showed how quickly a breeding site can become vulnerable when a youngster leaves too early or is forced out by disturbance.

Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital said it rescues, rehabilitates and releases sick, injured, orphaned and distressed wild animals and birds across Leicestershire and the surrounding area. The charity, registered in England and Wales as No. 1078817, relies entirely on public donations and volunteers, and its role in cases like 4BB’s is what gives an urban peregrine a second chance after a bad start.

Leicester Cathedral, embedded in the city and county for more than 900 years and the seat of the Bishop of Leicester since 1927, remains a striking perch for a bird built for speed. With peregrines still among the UK’s biggest falcons, and a 2017 national survey estimating 1,769 breeding pairs in the UK and Isle of Man in 2014, the pressure to protect city nests like this one has only grown.