Peregrine falcons Moxie and Jamie are starring in Season 13 of Falcon Cam, streaming live from atop our Indiana Michigan Power headquarters in Fort Wayne. Moxie laid her first egg of the year March 18, so we expect to see hatchlings in mid-April.
Since 2013, Moxie (mom) and Jamie (dad) have hatched more than 30 chicks in the I&M nestbox.
The 24/7 Falcon Cam ensures people all over the world can observe these once endangered raptors. Thanks to one of the most successful conservation and repopulation efforts in history, peregrine falcons were removed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species list in 1999.
From 1991 through 1994, the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife released 60 young falcons in Indianapolis, South Bend, Evansville and Fort Wayne.
In 1996, two chicks – Orion and Amelia – were the first to hatch atop I&M. Since then, several pairs of falcon parents have cared for more than 70 nestlings.
Tall buildings in urban areas are ideal nesting sites for falcons, offering similar conditions to the rocky ledges and cliffs where they would naturally nest.
Each May, the baby birds are banded and named through partnerships with local schools and the Fort Wayne Zoo. The numbered leg bands help eagle-eyed spotters track their eventual migration. Falcons may settle as far as 200 miles from their birthplace.
For example, Carla, from Moxie and Jamie’s 2020 brood, is raising her own family in Pittsburgh.
Other fledglings have included Marshmallow (2023), BeeGee (2021), Glenn (2018), Captain Falcon (2014), Kekionga (2002), Kilowatt (2001) and Komet (1997).
“Each year, people anxiously wait for the newest members of the peregrine falcon family to hatch, but what makes this so special is how it unites our community as they look on and help pick the chicks’ names,” said Rob Keisling, I&M External Affairs manager. “I&M is honored to be part of this opportunity that is viewed and followed by falcon fans around the clock, many from different parts of the world.”
I&M’s Falcon Cam is the result of a partnership among I&M, Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehab and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
