A pair of falcons is seen at a WPS facility (WPS)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) and WE Energies are continuing their work to restore and maintain Wisconsin’s peregrine falcon population, and WTAQ’s Matt Z, Rob Sussman, and Rachel Charniak are all in the running to have a peregrine falcon named after them.
Since the program began in the 1990s, 465 peregrine falcons have hatched at WPS and We Energies power plants.
WPS/WE Energies spokesperson Alison Trouy says every year brings a new theme and a naming contest for the new chicks.
“This year we thought, ‘what better way to say thank you to the men and women who are helping keep us informed every day?'” said Trouy. “So we are highlighting and honoring news anchors from across the state.”
But every news anchor’s name has an avian touch; so instead of voting for the names Matt Z, Rob Sussman and Rachel Charniak, you’re voting for Matt Tweet, Rob Soarin’, and Rachel Chirpniak.
Who came up with the names?
“Me and a few other of us on our team. Yep, lots of puns,” said Trouy with a laugh. “I feel like I’m thinking in bird puns now.”
About 22% of peregrine falcons born in the wild in Wisconsin were hatched at We Energies and WPS facilities.
“Peregrine Falcons are actually native to Wisconsin, and they almost went extinct after World War II because of the widespread use of the pesticide DDT,” said Trouy. “So Greg Septon, who’s our Peregrine Falcon manager, it is his life’s mission to help bring them back to the state.”
After this round of chicks hatch in the spring, WPS and WE Energies will have a banding event where the falcons will be officially named.
“We give them their little jewelry so that we can keep track of them,” said Trouy. “When they go off into the wild, it will allow birders to be able to spot them and let us know where they’ve been sighted. Some of our peregrine falcons; we had one make it all the way to Nicaragua. We had another one that made it to Venezuela. So these birds can travel incredibly far distances.”
Not only can these birds fly far…
“Peregrine falcons are the fastest animal on the planet. When they are diving, in what’s called a stoop, they can reach speeds in more than 200 miles per hour,” said Trouy.
Although this year’s naming contest is just beginning, Trouy says engagement has been very high.
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