Five-time gold medalist Bonnie Blair is known for speed, so it’s no surprise her peregrine falcon namesake is making headlines so quickly after leaving the nest.
“Birdie Blair” was recently spotted enjoying lunch on the US Bank webcam in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Birdie was born at the We Energies Oak Creek Power Plant in spring 2024 and was the first falcon to leave the nest in June.
Amy Ries with the Raptor Resource Project identified Birdie Blair thanks to the band placed on her leg and reached out to We Energies falcon manager Greg Septon to share the good news.
Septon places bands on all of the falcons born at We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) power plants. The combination of colors, letters and numbers on these bands helps birders identify falcons as they venture out into the world.
While sightings of peregrines are often rare after they leave the nest, We Energies and WPS have been lucky the last few years. A falcon chick born in 2023 was found thousands of miles away in Nicaragua in early 2024. And one of Birdie Blair’s 2024 classmates was recently spotted in Sheboygan Falls.
Bonnie Blair was able to meet her namesake before she left the nest last summer. She was thrilled to learn that Birdie Blair is alive and well.
“This is exciting!” Blair (the human) said. “It isn’t Nicaragua, but the real Bonnie Blair is a sprinter, so to have gotten that far would have meant Birdie Blair had distance in her blood. Instead, it looks like she is a sprinter like me!”
Peregrine falcon program
Birdie Blair was one of nine chicks born during another highly successful nesting season for We Energies and WPS. All of the 2024 chicks were named after Wisconsin Olympic medalists. The details are laid out in the 2024 Peregrine Falcon Nesting Season Report.
A total of 453 peregrine falcons have been born at We Energies and WPS power plants since the program began in 1992. That means 20% of all peregrine falcons born in Wisconsin during that time hatched at We Energies or WPS facilities, helping the endangered species escape possible extinction.
Coming soon
The countdown is on to the arrival of a new group of chicks. Watch for updates this spring as We Energies and WPS continue helping peregrine falcons nest and raise their young at power plants across Wisconsin.
The peregrine falcon program is just one way We Energies and WPS are building a bright, sustainable future. From helping endangered animals and restoring natural habitats, to building new solar facilities and reducing carbon emissions, we are committed to a cleaner future.