About peregrine falcons
The peregrine has long been associated with remote upland areas of the country such as the Yorkshire Dales. During the 1950s the peregrine population in the UK declined dramatically due to the use of agricultural organochlorine pesticides which caused the thinning of egg shells of many birds of prey such as the peregrine. This resulted in high levels of breeding failure due to eggs being inadvertently crushed or broken by the incubating birds.
By the early 1960s there were only a very small number of breeding pairs left in the Dales, all in the far north west of the National Park in the area that is now in Cumbria. Following a complete ban of these pesticides, the peregrine population began to increase, and in 1978, the first pairs returned to the Yorkshire area of the National Park. Peregrines in the Yorkshire Dales National Park are discussed in more detail in the Nature in the Dales section.
Despite the large number of people that visit the Malham area each year, peregrines settled at the Cove and first bred in 1993. They have been present ever since. Although these birds are relatively unique in the Dales in that they are very tolerant of people, each year climbing restrictions are agreed with the British Mountaineering Council to ensure that any climbers do not inadvertently disturb the nesting birds.
The Malham Cove site is unique in many ways. Not least in 1994, when the peregrines fledged a total of five young – the first time that this had been documented in Yorkshire and only the third record in the UK since 1896. Not content with this, what were presumed to be the same pair went on to fledge a further five young in 1998.
Despite the number of potentially suitable nesting (website opens in a new window) sites in the area, the Malham site is one of only six regularly occupied peregrine nest sites in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. They can be found in a variety of different habitats (website opens in a new window) and although they prefer to nest on large cliffs or crags, they may well use a number other sites. They are afforded full legal protection (website opens in a new window) but a number of threats (website opens in a new window) remain to this species, particularly in upland areas.
For more detailed information on peregrine falcons, select from the links to the RSPB website below. Each link opens a page in a new window:
