Peregrine falcons to fledge from New Madrid Power Plant

David Childers places falcon chick in box. [Click to enlarge]

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., is now home to four young peregrine falcons--nature's fastest flyers. AECI is participating in the restoration of falcons along the Mississippi River. Four young chicks were banded June 9 at the New Madrid Power Plant in Southeast Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation assisted in the banding and will help monitor the young falcons as they learn to fly.

"This partnership will help the recovery of this once endangered organism in Southeast Missouri and hopefully bring this beautiful raptor back to Southeast Missouri skies," said Bob Gillespie, a natural history biologist with the conservation department.

AECI employees have driven the effort to bring falcons to the power plant and be part of the bird's continuing recovery from the federal endangered species list. New Madrid Power Plant employees researched the falcon and its successful nesting at electric utility structures, demonstrated the benefits of the project and built hacking and nesting boxes.

Falcon chicks

Employees involved in the falcon project are David Childers, Jacques Delisle, Kevin Ivey, Dennis Meier, Tim Pinnell and Rusty Rice.

A few employees have trained to care for the peregrine chicks, learning from Bob Anderson of Xcel Energy and the Raptor Resource Project, as well as staff from other utilities with successful peregrine nests. Power-plant peregrines now account for more than one-third of the population in the Midwest and utilities have played a key role in helping the bird recover from near extinction.

Plant manager Dave Evans said AECI and its employees are excited to be a part of the effort to restore peregrine falcon, known for its aerial prowess and dive speed of more than 200 m.p.h., and to expand the bird's range along the Mississippi River.