Top Stories Milwaukee

Peregrine falcons, once an endangered species in the United States, favor high-up nesting grounds, such as cliff faces, and are famous for reaching speeds of 200 mph as they plummet toward a tasty mouse or squirrel.

Peregrine falcon

The sleek, aerodynamic predators could be taking a high-speed plunge from atop a power plant near you.

Since 1997, Milwaukee-based We Energies has helped the falcons nest in special boxes attached to the smoke stacks of its coal and natural gas power plants in Wisconsin.

So far, the electric utility says, the “falcon recovery program” has produced 146 peregrine falcons, about 20 percent of those born in the state since the program began.

The next round of young falcons is getting ready to hatch from nests at the Port Washington Generating Station, the Pleasant Prairie Power Plant, the Oak Creek Power Plant, the Presque Isle Power Plant in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the Valley Power Plant in Milwaukee.

We Energies has setup webcams to watch the birds online, and another web page is accepting suggested names for the new chicks. More than a dozen are expected to hatch in May.

Last year, according to the Midwest Peregrine Society, which tracks the We Energies and other nests in Wisconsin, 82 chicks were born in the state at 27 different sites.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.