Salisbury Cathedral peregrine chicks named and given ID rings
This year's little ones are named Rose, Lily and Rex
The names of this year’s batch of Peregrine chicks at Salisbury Cathedral have been announced following an online vote.
Over 600 votes were cast on a selection of male and female names ahead of a team of experts ringing the chicks on Wednesday morning (17th May).
The chicks will be called Rose, Lily and Rex.
The names have taken inspiration from the King's Coronation this year, and won the public vote through the Cathedral's website.
Ringing Process
In front of a selection of local media, the chicks were measured and weighed, where we found two females and a male.
The ringing was led by Nigel Jones from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and assisted by Phil Sheldrake, the Cathedral’s Nature Conservation Adviser.
After being retrieved from the nest box in cardboard boxes, the chicks had a metal ring placed on one leg for BTO tracking and an orange ring, made of plastic, with an identification number.
This was followed by measurements of the head, including the beak, feet and wings before the birds were carefully placed into a plastic bag for weighing.
Who’s who
The largest female, weighing 930g is called Rose, and the smaller female, named Lily, weighs 840g.
Male Peregrines are smaller than their female counterparts, this year’s male will be named Rex and weighs 655g.
Rose was suggested by the Gardening team at the Cathedral, as roses are budding in May and the royal connection to The Rt Rev Rose Hudson Wilkin, the first black bishop to take part in a coronation in Britain.
Rex, latin for King, was suggested by one of the Guide’s groups and Lily was put forward the flower arrangers as it is one of Buckingham Palace’s favourite flowers.
Once ringing was over, the chicks were returned to the nest box, slightly shell shocked at what they’d just been through.
The chicks will begin to fledge in the next month or so, before the parents teach them how to hunt, which they will do by dropping a catch down to the chicks to chase and catch themselves.