An injured peregrine falcon has been rescued after being found stranded on rocks. Brixham fisherman Tristan Northway discovered the bird, waterlogged and with visible injuries, near Berry Head's cliffs. He took it to the marine wildlife team at the Cove Discovery Project in Brixham, Devon.
Duncan Kenny from the project said he thought the year-old bird had moved into the territory of a dominant female, which may have attacked it. "It is rare to rescue a peregrine and it was a privilege as you rarely handle them," said Kenny, who is a licenced peregrine ringer.
The falcon was then handed to raptor rehabilitators Devon Peregrines. They observed that it looked like it had also been attacked by fulmars before becoming waterlogged. The rehabilitation team said the bird was "very wet and had some visible injuries possibly sustained from scrambling on the rocks". They added: "Other than some superficial injuries, damaged feathers and being rather waterlogged, the bird seems to be in good condition otherwise."
Kenny said the falcon was exhausted after being in the water for some time. "It could not recover as it could not get out of the water. Peregrines do not have oily feathers so when they get wet they get waterlogged," he said. He also said the bird had oil on its back, which could have come from fulmars that had spat out in defence. The fulmar, a grey and white seabird related to the albatross, defends its nest by spitting out a foul-smelling oil at intruders.
The Devon Peregrines team said that if there were no complications, it was hoped the peregrine falcon could be returned to the wild once it had recovered.
Now a protected species, peregrine falcon numbers declined dramatically in the 1960s due to human persecution and the impact of pesticides in the food chain. They can reach speeds of about 200mph (322km/h) in pursuit of prey, making them the fastest creatures on the planet.
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Berry Head Rescue for Injured Peregrine Falcon