The falcons born at the Essity mill hadn’t been named as of Tuesday morning. But the birds’ annual return “is closely watched and enjoyed” by the employees at the Menasha mill, the company said, through a “falcon cam” that was installed in 2017.
The falcons keep coming back to a nesting box employees created on a boiler stack to lay and hatch their eggs.
“It’s probably because it’s a high location that seems safe to them,” Geiger said.
A female falcon typically lays up to four eggs in late March or early April that hatch about 30 days later, according to Essity.
Peregrine falcons recovered from ‘the brink of extinction’
Peregrine falcons “were driven to the brink of extinction,” and the species was federally listed as an endangered species in 1973, according to the National Park Service.
The population declined “due to problems with egg-shell thinning caused by persistent organic pollutants such as DDT,” the park service said. By reducing DDT in the environment, though, peregrine falcons had a chance to recover, according to the agency, and the American peregrine falcon was removed from the endangered species list in 1999.
However, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources still lists the falcons as endangered in the state.
“Urban and industrial sites that provide nest boxes contribute greatly to the stability of the peregrine population in the state,” Septon said in an email to The Post-Crescent email Tuesday evening. “Of the 39 successful nests last year, only 11 (28%) were on natural cliffs, so the human built environment and especially sites where nest boxes are provided remain vital to maintaining the population at the current levels.”
Septon has spent decades supporting peregrine falcons. When asked what fascinates him, personally, about the bird, Septon replied, “I’ve always marveled at peregrines, their superb, mind blowing aerial skills, their amazing stoops, their dedication as protective parents and the generally remote — yes, even a nest box atop a paper mill can seem like another world when you’re there — places they call home.”
Where can I watch peregrine falcons webcams in Wisconsin?
Nest box livestreams are available to the public from:
