Peregrine Falcon.

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Vincent Michel

  • The Fondation de l'Oeuvre de Notre Dame in Strasbourg has built and installed a nesting box for peregrine falcons.

  • Perched in the spire of the cathedral, it will allow this raptor to reproduce, to incubate the eggs in peace while being protected.

  • The presence of the peregrine falcon will also make it possible to participate naturally in the regulation and dispersion of pigeons.

Birds of prey in the heart of Strasbourg that breed on the spire of the cathedral?

Possible.

Young Peregrine Falcons have indeed become “urban”, assures LPO Alsace.

So that a "super nest box", made by the companions of duty of the Foundation of the Work of Notre Dame, on the plans and technical advice of the LPO, was placed on the top of the religious building.

What "to allow reproduction in peace of this protected species, explains Sébastien Didier, coordinator of the conservation pole at the LPO.

The peregrine falcon has found a suitable fridge in large cities, ”smiles the specialist.

Peregrine falcons, there would be at the moment about ten pairs in the Strasbourg area.

Some come from northern Europe to spend the winter because they can no longer find enough food there and then there are sedentary people, as in Schiltigheim.

The peregrine falcon nesting box placed in Strasbourg Cathedral.

- Olivier Steck

If the decision to install a nesting box is above all to support urban biodiversity, it is also to fight against the massive presence of pigeons in the city.

Something to delight many city dwellers who have recently complained about their too large presence.

“This is an initiative taken both to support urban biodiversity, but also to regulate and naturally disperse pigeons,” emphasizes Sébastien Didier.

The female catches a lot of large pigeons, less the male who catches small pigeons and especially small birds.

This is something that is of great interest to manufacturers, who often contact us to have peregrine falcons to protect their site from pigeon droppings.

The hawk won't make them disappear, but it will regulate them.

"

An ideal observation post

The peregrine falcon, a very fast raptor, was one of the first protected species in France in the 1970s. A little symbol of the protection of biodiversity which contributed to the discovery of the harmful effects of DDT.

Discovery that led to the ban of this pesticide and its derivatives.

Protected, they then settled in cities, on tall buildings, towers, electricity pylons.

In the Strasbourg conurbation, around seven nesting boxes have also been installed, to which are added those on grain silos.

Why the cathedral?

"It's the highlight, it's the top of the fridge", illustrates Sébastien Didier.

“Peregrine falcons are truly birds that seek high, flying prey.

We are on the Rhine, the Rhine corridor, so there is a lot of migration, whether in spring or in autumn.

So they hunt them day and night because they take advantage of urban lighting, says Sébastien Didier.

It is the ideal vantage point with quite a few little niches where they can hide, where they are quiet, and a view over the whole plain.

For the time being, the volunteers who contributed to the placement of the nest box hope to see hatch the first eggs of the first falcons in the cathedral.

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