The beloved falcons have been named ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Clyde’, as suggested by the university community

The University of Glasgow has named its beloved pair of Peregrine Falcons ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Clyde’.

The Peregrine Falcons have returned to nest each spring at the top of the University’s Gilbert Scott Tower for over 20 years.

A campaign was launched earlier this year to name the adult falcons, one male and one female, with university staff and students invited to submit suggestions. The names ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Clyde’ were chosen from the wide variety of creative submissions.

‘Bonnie’ was selected in reference to the phrase ‘Bonnie Scotland’, while ‘Clyde’ was chosen for the River Clyde which runs just south of the University’s Gilmorehill Campus.

The falcons have been issued with staff ID cards to celebrate their new names.

The University installed cameras in the nesting area at the top of the Gilbert Scott Tower and discovered earlier this year that the falcons had hatched several chicks. This allows for regular monitoring of the falcons and their young, with the Gilbert Scott Tower being the only closely monitored Peregrine Falcon nest in Glasgow.

Both the young chicks have recently fledged, swooping in and around the Gilbert Scott Tower and the Quadrangles as they grow accustomed to their new wings.

First published: 12 September 2024

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