Help Name Peregrine Falcon Chicks in Wisconsin Olympic-Themed Contest

Female falcon with the first peregrine falcon egg of the season in Wisconsin Public Service's Weston Power Plant nest box April 18, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online

(WTAQ-WLUK) — The theme for this year’s WPS and We Energies peregrine falcon chick naming contest is a nod to Olympic medalists with Wisconsin ties.

Public online voting is now open to pick your favorite names for peregrine falcon chicks that hatch at Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) and We Energies power plants this spring. So far, there are 11 eggs ready to hatch.

This year’s theme is Wisconsin Olympians.

The names with the most votes win.

Click here to cast your votes

They are:

• Birdie Blair — in honor of five-time gold-medal speedskater and Wisconsin resident Bonnie Blair-Cruikshank
• Beezie — in honor of equestrian and Nicolet High School grad Elizabeth “Beezie” Madden
• Blade — in honor of speedskater and West Allis resident Jonathan Kuck
• Champ — in honor of gold-medal winning speedskater and West Allis native Dan Jansen
• Chase — in honor of University of Wisconsin (UW) grad Evan Jager, who took home the silver medal in steeplechase
• Curly— in honor of sibling curlers Becca and Matt Hamilton, who hail from Madison
• Duchess — in honor of soccer star, UW grad and “Nutmeg Duchess” Rose Lavelle
• Fitz — in honor of Casey FitzRandolph, a Verona native who won gold in speedskating at the 2002 Winter Games
• Glider — in honor of speedskater and Milwaukee resident Brian Hansen
• Golly — in honor of Brookfield native Molly Seidel, who took the bronze medal in the marathon
• G-Dubs — in honor of Nicolet High School grad and swimmer Garrett Weber-Gale
• Happy — in honor of speedskater and regular at the Pettit National Ice Center Ethan Cepuran
• Hero — in honor of Wisconsin’s Special Olympics Athletes
• Heater — in honor of Ben Sheets, Milwaukee Brewers All-Star pitcher who led Team USA to its first-ever gold medal in baseball
• Khash — in honor of gold-medal and NBA championship-winning basketball star Khris Middleton
• Kung Fu Kenny — in honor of Rice Lake native and runner Kenny Bednarek, nicknamed “Kung Fu Kenny”
• Lancer — in honor of triple jumper and Brookfield Central grad Kenny Harrison
• Miracle — in honor of the Wisconsinites on the 1980 men’s hockey team
• Oarlock — in honor of bronze-medal rower and St. Croix Falls native Megan Kalmoe
• Placid — in honor of sibling speedskaters Beth and Eric Heiden, who grew up in Madison and competed in the Lake Placid games
• Pommel — in honor of sibling gymnasts and Waukesha natives Paul and Morgan Hamm
• Puck — in honor of the many UW grads who have played on the women’s national hockey team
• Sharpie — in honor of speedskater and Milwaukee resident Katherine Reutter
• Skelly — in honor of skeleton racer and Prairie du Chien native Matt Antoine
• Skip — in honor of curler and Superior resident John Shuster’s position on the 2018 gold-medal winning team
• Soar-gensen — in honor of UW grad Gwen Jorgensen, who soared above the competition in the 2016 triathalon
• Speedy — in honor of Marquette University grad and speedskater Emery Lehman
• Trailblazer — in honor of speedskater Shani Davis, who trained at the Pettit and was the first African American athlete to win a gold medal in an individual event at the Winter Games
• Trapper — in honor of sportshooter and Waterford native Madelynn Bernau
• Triumph — in honor of gymnast and West Allis native Chellsie Memmel
• Warrior — in honor of Wisconsin’s Paralympic athletes
• Witty — in honor of speedskater and West Allis native Chris Witty

You can vote as many times as you want between now and Thursday, May 9, to make sure your favorite names make the cut.

This year, there are cameras livestreaming the endangered species’ nest boxes at one WPS power plant and three We Energies facilities:

• Weston Power Plant in Rothschild
• Oak Creek Power Plant
• Port Washington Generating Station
• Valley Power Plant in Milwaukee

WPS and We Energies began installing peregrine falcon nest boxes on power plants in the early ‘90s. So far, 444 peregrine falcons have hatched at WPS and We Energies facilities — that’s 20% of all peregrine falcons born in Wisconsin.

This program is another way WPS and We Energies are building a bright, sustainable future. From helping endangered animals and restoring natural habitats, to building new solar facilities and reducing carbon emissions, WPS and We Energies are committed to a cleaner future.