Peregrine Falcons Get Their Names At Oak Creek Power Plant

OAK CREEK, WI — Four peregrine falcon chicks received their names and tags at We Energies' Oak Creek Power Plant Wednesday morning, the company announced.

The chicks hatched in early May at the Oak Creek Power Plant. Falcon parents Michael and Essity laid the first eggs of the season there in March, with other falcons also laying eggs across We Energies power plants in Milwaukee, Rothschild and Port Washington.

Each of the four power plant peregrine nesting boxes can be viewed in a live stream from We Energies.

The newly named chicks, Favre, Mario, Mae and Whitney, will be building their strength over the next few weeks until they are expected to leave their nest, according to Alison Trouy, a spokesperson for We Energies.

The little guys are expected grow into fully fledged birds of prey. Peregrine falcons often eat other birds, according to a report by the National Park Service. The falcons can fly high above their prey and dive at more than 200 mph, killing their meal mid-air with a strong blow, the NPS report said.

We Energies started installing boxes for the species on power plants in 1992, when 12 falcons born in captivity were released from the Pleasant Prairie power plant. Through the course of the program more than 400 peregrine falcons have hatched at local power plants, according to We Energies.

The four falcon chicks that were named in Oak Creek on Wednesday got those names from a contest that was inspired by culture, sports, music and pop trends of 1992, marking the 30th anniversary of the program.

Favre's name is inspired by Brett Favre's first year with the Green Bay Packers. Mario's name is in honor of the first year that "Super Mario Kart" debuted. Mae is named in honor of Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space, and Whitney is named after Whitney Houston's 1992 best-selling song, "I Will Always Love You."