MADISON, Wis. — One of the peregrine falcons hatched at Madison Gas and Electric’s Blount Generating Station in May seriously hurt itself while learning to fly.
The Dane County Humane Society said Monarch, a male falcon, lept from his nest but fell to the ground instead of soaring. X-rays showed he broke his left leg near the knee, an injury DCHS said can be life-threatening for a bird so young.
Veterinarians from the UW School of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Medicine Program are set to perform an emergency orthopedic surgery on Monarch Thursday afternoon.
“Since Peregrine Falcons are endangered in Wisconsin, helping this bird and conserving this species matters,” DCHS Development and Communication Supervisor Lisa Bernard said. “We’re asking for our community’s support and help to provide the necessary care and rehabilitation this young falcon needs so he can one day return to flying over Madison, where they belong.”
You can help fund Monach’s surgery and recovery and the link here.
DCHS said the other MGE falcon hatched this year, Honey, also had a bit of a bumpy first flight. On Sunday, she lept from the nesting box and landed on a vehicle near the Moxy Hotel. She was able to fly up to the hotel’s sign. A falconer later assessed her and confirmed she was ok.
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