Maia Pandey
The falcons, Brinn and Beasley, both nested at the Port Washington Generating Station. Brinn's body was recently found in the nest box, while Beasley stopped returning to the nest within a few days of Brinn's death, leading the company's falcon manager to believe Beasley has also died.
Brinn had nested there since 2014, and Beasley arrived in 2017. Together, they produced 22 chicks.
"While we are heartbroken over their loss, we know their legacy lives on in the dozens of chicks they brought into this world and the awareness they helped to bring to peregrine falcon recovery efforts across the state," Truoy said in an email.
We Energies has maintained peregrine falcon nest boxes on several of its power plants since the early 1990s, according to its website. Since then, more than 450 falcons have hatched at these nests — amounting to 20% of all peregrine falcons born in Wisconsin.
"There is a small silver lining," Truoy added. "We have had two new peregrine falcons take up residence at the nest box since Brinn and Beasley’s deaths, and we are hopeful that we will see the first eggs in the coming days or weeks."
Since late 2024, bird flu, or highly pathogenic avian influenza, has killed more than a dozen wild birds and thousands of poultry across Wisconsin. The current nationwide outbreak has been the largest, deadliest and most costly in history, according to federal officials.
Here's what to know about bird flu in Wisconsin, including what to do if you encounter a dead or sick bird.
What's the latest on bird flu in Wisconsin?
Since the outbreak's onset in early 2022, bird flu has killed or forced the culling of more than 160 million birds nationwide, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in March.
In Wisconsin, officials have detected avian influenza in commercial poultry flocks in Burnett and Barron counties and backyard flocks in Kenosha and Sheboygan counties. The Sheboygan outbreak was reported April 10 in a flock of nearly 40,000 birds.
And, while tracking deaths among wild birds is more difficult, hundreds of birds likely infected with the virus have washed up dead on the shores of Lake Michigan in recent months.
While Wisconsin is along among 13 states to report human cases of the H5N1 virus, there is no imminent threat of the virus to Wisconsinites, according to the state Department of Health Services. The state identified its first and only human case of the H5N1 virus so far in a worker at a Barron County turkey farm in December 2024. The farmworker had relatively mild symptoms and was on a road to full recovery with antiviral medications, officials said later that month.
How to prevent bird flu in Wisconsin
Here are a few tips to minimize your risk of the virus, according to Wisconsin DNR:
- Do not handle sick or dead wild birds.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after contact with a wild bird or contaminated surfaces, including bird baths and feeders. Wear disposable gloves when cleaning bird feeders and baths. Use common disinfectants, such as detergents, 10% bleach solution and alcohol, to inactivate the virus.
- Cook all meat, including wild birds and poultry, thoroughly to 165° F to kill organisms and parasites. Find more information about food safety tips here.
- Hunters should sanitize all tools and surfaces when handling, cleaning and preparing wild birds.
How to report a sick or dead bird
If you see five or more sick or dead birds in one area, you can report it to the DNR by emailing DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@wisconsin.gov or calling 608-267-0866. Be ready to note the number of animals; the species, such as Canada goose; if they were sick or dead; the specific location where you saw them and the county; and your contact information.
You can find prevention information for farmworkers or those who've had contact with birds, dairy cattle and other animals on the CDC website.
Paul Smith contributed to this report.
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