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MGE Falcon Nest Box Joins Growing List

Three peregrine falcons hatched at MGE's Blount Generating Station in downtown Madison were among 82 young produced this year in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Falcon Watch Nesting Season Report for 2009 counted the MGE nesting box among 30 successful peregrine nest sites. In 2008, 81 falcon chicks hatched at 27 nest sites. The report was prepared by Greg Septon, President of the Wisconsin Peregrine Trust.

Wisconsin Falcon Watch 2009 [PDF - 838 KB]

The adult peregrine pair at the MGE power plant were among the most successful in Wisconsin, hatching one female and two males from three eggs.

The power plant manager and his son built the nest box in 1999, but falcons did not start using it until this year.

March 2009
Falcon experts removed the birds from their nest box when they were three weeks old to clip identity bands to their legs. The bands help researchers track and study the birds. Once the banding was completed, the chicks were returned to the nest.

June 2009
The young falcons took flight at about six weeks of age, honing their flying and hunting skills from perches high atop the power plant.
July 2009
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and private groups have worked together for more than 20 years to reintroduce and manage falcons in the state. The DNR says the birds disappeared from Wisconsin in the 1960s due to the use of pesticides like DDT.

Falcons are amazing sky divers, documented by National Geographic which produced a fascinating video about how fast peregrine falcons fly.


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