Peregrine Falcons
Wisconsin Public Service has been working with the Peregrine nesting efforts since 1996 in hopes of helping bring back this endangered bird of prey to Wisconsin.
Pulliam Power Plant Peregrine Falcons
High above the place where the Fox River meets the bay of Green Bay, nestled in the southwest corner of the roof of our J.P. Pulliam Power Plant, you will find a specially built home designed for the rare Peregrine Falcon. This unlikely spot has produced 39 Peregrine chicks since 1995. The birds are attracted to power plants because of their tall stacks, their proximity to open water and the steady food supply of other birds in the area.
Name the Falcon Chicks Contest 2008 Winners
- Jocasta - submitted by Lizzy LeMere, a 5th grader at Hillcrest Elementary School in Pulaski. LeMere chose the name because it was the name of a gem in a story she is reading.
- Eco - submitted by Kyle Wiegert, a 7th grader at Notre Dame Middle School in De Pere. Wiegert's entry was named to save the environment.
- Aldo - submitted by Kiely Kelly, a 4th grader at Holy Cross School, Bay Settlement. Kelly's entry was named after a small chick she had that chirped.
Weston 4 Peregrine Falcons
In 2006, for the first time, four Peregrines were hatched atop our Weston Power Plant in Rothschild, WI. Wisconsin Public Service employees have been trying to attract the Peregrines to nest at the Weston Plant for the last five years and these were likely the first set of chicks born in Marathon County.
Background
The Peregrine Falcon is a crow-sized bird of prey that is famous and admired for its beauty, speed and agility. Native to Wisconsin, Peregrines originally nested along the bluffs of the Mississippi, St. Croix and Wisconsin rivers, and along the Door peninsula.
The population withered because of the use of the chemical pesticide DDT which weakened eggshells and prevented hatching. As a result, Peregrines disappeared from the entire eastern United States and were placed on the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1973. Although it was delisted in 1999, Peregrine Falcons remain on Wisconsin's endangered species list.
The Wisconsin Peregrine Trust's goal is to establish 20 nesting pairs, which would enable the population to sustain itself in the state. The Trust hopes that the Peregrines can be restored to the natural cliffs and rocky bluffs along the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin and also along the Door County peninsula. Wisconsin Public Service through its Foundation provided a grant to The Wisconsin Peregrine Trust in May 2004 to assist with this effort.
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Peregrine Fund
- Wisconsin Falcon Watch [PDF: 1.31MB / 22 pages]