MILWAUKEE — Two of the longest-returning peregrine falcons to southeast Wisconsin have likely died from bird flu.
We Energies peregrine falcon manager Greg Septon discovered female peregrine falcon Brinn dead in the Port Washington nest box. Her mate Beasley hasn’t been found, but “[since] he stopped returning to the nest box within a few days of Brinn’s death… Septon believes Beasley has also died”.
Brinn had been nesting at the Port Washington Generating Station since 2014. Beasley had been her mate for 8 years, and they had 22 chicks together.
“We know our customers have come to know and love Brinn and Beasley over the past 11 years thanks to our webcams,” Mike Grisar, team leader environmental for We Energies. “While we are heartbroken over their loss, we know their legacy lives on in the dozens of chicks they brought into this world and the awareness they helped to bring to peregrine falcon recovery efforts across the state.”
We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service are not sure how bird flu will impact the other nest boxes this season, but still hopes for a successful group of chicks being born.
“Peregrine falcons have been a resilient species for thousands of years,” Septon said. “They survived near extinction after widespread use of the pesticide DDT, they survived West Nile virus, and we’re confident they’ll survive this outbreak of bird flu, too.”
So far, 453 peregrine falcons have hatched at We Energies and WPS facilities since 1992. The first egg laid this year was laid at the end of March.
