Sustainability Institute

   Falcon Project History at UW Oshkosh

In 2011, Greg Septon, founder of the Wisconsin Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project, was contacted by Paul Bruce from UW Oshkosh about the possibility of constructing and installing a nesting box on campus because of many factors that are attractive to Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) and reports of falcons in the area around that time.

UW Oshkosh agreed to be a partner in the Wisconsin Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project, and Gruenhagen Conference Center was chosen as the best site for the box.  With the box in place, peregrines began to notice the suitable home, and the first pair moved into the box  in 2011. The pair included “Hondo” who had been produced in Sheboygan, WI,  and “Deborah” who had been produced in Evanston, IL.  That first spring, the pair hatched 3 chicks and raised 2 of those chicks. The female chick in spring of 2011, named Millenium, was rescued on July 11 and returned to the nesting box but was later transported to Aves Wildlife Alliance in an attempt to treat her condition as she exhibited uncommon behavior in the box.  She ultimately succumbed to likely internal injury and dehydration. The one male chick, Titan, survived.

Aves has been instrumental in assisting with other UW Oshkosh falcons.  In 2012, “Hondo” was treated for injuries that appeared to have occurred from a vehicle collision.  His injuries did not heal enough that he would be able to hunt, so he could not be released into the wild.  As a result, Aves was able to receive licensing to allow them to use “Hondo” as an ambassador bird in educational programming.  “Talon” joined “Deborah” in 2013, and they retained the nest until 2016 when “Deborah” sustained injuries from a dispute when another female, “Julia,” arrived on scene.  While “Talon” stepped up as the sole supporter of the four chicks that had hatched, “Deborah” was treated at Aves.  One of the chicks was ultimately also taken to Aves because of the stress exhibited by the presence of “Julia.”  In 2017, “Julia” claimed the nesting box with an unbanded male during that first year and then “Rupert” came along in 2018.  These two continue in 2020 as the current nesting pair.

With the help of nesting boxes like we have at UW Oshkosh, Peregrine Falcons continue to thrive in the U.S.  The box is cleaned each year, typically in the fall when it will not disturb the birds preparing for the spring nesting season.  When the chicks hatch and are approximately three weeks old, they are given leg bands that have special letter/number combinations, which are recorded and can be used for research.