Ravens Hatch At Tower Of London For First Time In 30 Years

For the first time since 1989, the Tower of London has welcomed the birth of raven chicks.

Parents Huginn and Muninn, who arrived at the Tower in 2018, saw their four healthy chicks begin to hatch three weeks ago.

Seven other ravens also reside at the Tower - legend has it that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, both the Tower and the Kingdom will suffer.

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The Tower of London's Ravenmaster, Yeoman Warder Chris Skaife, said he felt like "a proud father".

Having worked with the birds for the last 13 years, Yeoman Warder Skaife said his "suspicions first piqued" when the parents built a "huge nest suddenly overnight and then almost immediately the female bird started to sit on it". 

The chicks survive on a varied diet of quail, mice and rats while they have quadrupled in size in just three weeks.

One of the chicks will stay at the Tower, and having begun to hatch on St George's Day, that chick will be named either George or Georgina once its gender is identified.