We Energies falcon chicks named, banded; meet 'Birdie Blair'
MILWAUKEE - We Energies introduced and banded the first peregrine falcon chicks of the season on Thursday, May 23.
The 2024 peregrine falcon naming contest honored Olympic medalists with Wisconsin ties. The public cast more than 10,000 votes from a list of dozens of names.
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair won gold again; "Birdie Blair," the name in her honor, received the highest number of votes. "Hero," in honor of Wisconsin’s Special Olympics athletes, and "Warrior," in honor of Wisconsin’s Paralympic athletes, rounded out the podium.
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With more than 10,000 votes cast, the top 10 names were:
- Birdie Blair, in honor of five-time gold-medal speedskater and Wisconsin resident Bonnie Blair-Cruikshank
- Hero, in honor of Wisconsin’s Special Olympics Athletes
- Warrior, in honor of Wisconsin’s Paralympic athletes
- Trapper, in honor of sportshooter and Waterford native Madelynn Bernau
- Fitz, in honor of Casey FitzRandolph, a Verona native who won gold in speedskating at the 2002 Winter Games
- Khash, in honor of gold-medal and NBA championship-winning basketball star Khris Middleton
- Miracle, in honor of the Wisconsinites on the 1980 men’s hockey team
- Puck, in honor of the many University of Wisconsin grads who have played on the women’s national hockey team
- Champ, in honor of gold-medal winning speedskater and West Allis native Dan Jansen
- Glider, in honor of speedskater and Milwaukee resident Brian Hansen
As of May 16, eight falcon chicks had hatched.
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Peregrine falcon program
We Energies and WPS began installing peregrine falcon nest boxes on power plants in the early 1990s. So far, a news release said 444 peregrine falcons have hatched at We Energies and WPS facilities – that’s 20% of all peregrine falcons born in Wisconsin.
Also coming up this season, the public can help We Energies name this year’s chicks in a naming contest. Details on that contest, and updates on each nest box, will be announced later this season.
Cameras will livestream the endangered species’ nest boxes at four We Energies/WPS facilities this year:
- Oak Creek Power Plant
- Port Washington Generating Station
- Valley Power Plant in Milwaukee
- Weston Power Plant in Rothschild
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