KEY WILDLIFE
Peregrine falcon
The fastest bird on Earth taking up residence in our towns and cities must be the urban conservation success story of the 21st century. March is a fabulous month to watch their antics as courtship flights and copulation take centre stage.
Otter
In 2011 it was declared that otters had returned to every county in England. With watercourses a central feature of many towns and cities, it’s perhaps no surprise they’re also now being recorded along Newcastle’s waterfront, Birmingham’s canals and London’s reservoirs.
Ring-necked parakeet
cke ed et These greengr arrows s have adapte ted so su uccessfully to life inn LondLon don that it is now difficult tot spendspen a day in the city’s suburbs without ithout encountering flocks of the noisy sy and gregarious escapees.
Black redstart
A common bird just across the English Channel, British breeding black redstarts have steadfastly refused to move away from their urban and industrial strongholds in southeast England. By the end of March, returning birds will have begun to claim their territories.
Feral pigeon
The feral pigeon has sleeping rough and begging down to a fine art. Pejoratively called ‘flying rat’ by those unable to appreciate the remarkable bird’s finer points, its ability to breed in every month of the year means this city slicker is here to stay.