Extraordinary spring in Brussels in ! For the first time in the memory of an ornithologist, a pair of Peregrine Falcon nested in the city! They have taken up natural residence at the very top of the north tower of the magnificent St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral. But what led these birds, the fastest in the world, to settle in the heart of a city of 1,, inhabitants?
It's a mystery But no, we know! It's the fact that they're welcome here! And that hasn't always been the case. The history of the Peregrine Falcon is indeed exceptional. It was first venerated for 3, years in ancient Egypt, where it was symbolised by the god Horus, meaning "the Far One", in reference to the majestic flight of the bird of prey. His representations are each more beautiful than the last, the best known probably being the one depicting his stylised eye.
In the Middle Ages, Peregrines were highly prized by the peoples of the steppes and high plateaux of Central Asia: they were trained for hunting. And it was no joke!
Here is the sentence defined by a decree issued by King Henry III in "The capture of a falcon is punishable by death. Anyone who visit an eyrie in order to find a young bird is sentenced to a year and a day in prison". In the 20th century, the tide turned for the Peregrine and many other species of bird of prey: they were trapped and shot because most hunters considered them intolerable competitors.
But it was the arrival of permanent organic pesticides, such as DDT, that dealt the final blow. In the space of 20 years, Peregrine populations collapsed in Europe and North America.
