'Unbelievably sad' - peregrine falcon which took up residence at Higham Ferrers church dies

A male peregrine falcon has been found dead on the Higham Ferrers church roof and tributes have been flooding in online.

A pair of birds made a home in Higham Ferrers’ St Mary’s Church in 2021, and quickly became familiar faces in the town and a firm fixture in the church’s updates.

But the adult male has been discovered to have died, with locals quickly receiving the unfortunate news via social media.

Many took to Facebook to react to the ‘unbelievably sad’, ‘tragic’ and ‘extremely upsetting’ news, adding that they ‘can’t believe this has happened’.

Two young peregrine falcons took up residence on the church spire in 2021, and their development has been a source of pride for locals ever since.

In October one of the St Mary’s Church falcons tested positive for avian (bird) flu, but there is currently no confirmation of the cause of death for the male that was discovered on May 25.