Worcester Cathedral last peregrine falcon chick dies
"A sad end to this year’s season"
Last updated 16th May 2025
It's believed the last remaining peregrine falcon chick born at Worcester Cathedral might have had avian flu.
The youngster - who hatched at Easter - refused food yesterday and experts said it was showing signs of being unwell.
One egg failed to hatch at all and two other chicks died.
The livestream has been suspended as a result.
Now, in an update this morning, we've been told that the chick has died.
Peregrine Falcons in Worcester said: "First, we would like to say huge thank you for the hundreds of supporting messages regarding yesterday’s post. It has been a tough one this year made worse when we thought the last chick had managed to avoid illness which caused the demise of the other two. Cause is unknown & open to speculation until we receive results back from the lab, as stated before this could take some time.
"As feared the chick died around 20.30 last night, it has been recovered & will shortly be sent to the lab joining it’s sibling for analysis. The egg remains in the box, if we get the opportunity over the next few days this will also be recovered & sent to the lab.
"Both adults appear to be healthy & will be closely monitored over the coming days & weeks.
"We will post again later today regarding the advertised viewing sessions, if the adults are still frequently around the South & East faces of the tower we may still go ahead with Saturday, we’ll monitor today & update later this afternoon."
On their Facebook page yesterday, Peregrine Falcons in Worcester said: "We have made the decision to shut down the Livestream, not a fault this time.
"As many have noticed the chick has not been fed today, this is a deliberate act by the adults.
"From 5am it became clear the chick was not well, not calling for food & acting lethargically, the adults know this & will not normally attempt to feed ill chicks. Avian Flu could be a cause here as the chick has exhibited 3 or 4 symptoms.
"10 minutes ago, no interest was shown when the female landed with prey & proceeded to eat it the box. This would also explain why the chick stumbled backwards onto the ledge yesterday. If by any chance there is a recovery we will restart but highly unlikely.
"A sad end to this year’s season but looking for positive results next year.
"We will post another update when events here become clearer."