Where are they now?: Gunner

When our peregrine falcons fly the nest each spring, we never know if we’ll see them again. Peregrine means “wanderer,” and as you’d expect from the name, some fledglings fly hundreds of miles away.

So when we do get an update on one of our power plant peregrines, it’s pretty exciting.

Take, for example, Gunner. Gunner was born in 2018 at the Oak Creek Power Plant.

Gunner (right) with his brother, Kluski.

This fall, he was photographed in Montrose Harbor in Chicago. Spotters were able to identify him using the letter and number on the band on his foot. (This is why we attach the bands to our chicks each spring.)

Gunner was spotted with an unnamed female and an unbanded juvenile peregrine, but we’re not sure if it is one of their young. Regardless, it’s exciting to see Gunner thriving just south of the border a year and a half later.

Peregrine falcon program
We Energies and our sister utility, Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), are proud to be part of a statewide effort to restore the peregrine falcon population. Since our first successful nest box in the late ‘90s, 402 peregrine falcons have hatched at our facilities.

The program is another way We Energies and WPS demonstrate environmental stewardship. From helping endangered animals and restoring natural habitats, to building new solar facilities and reducing carbon emissions, we are committed to a cleaner future.