Peregrine falcons hatch for 11th consecutive year at Essity’s Menasha mill

Four baby peregrine falcons hatched in late April at Essity’s paper mill in Menasha, Wisconsin, marking the 11th consecutive year that the species has nested at the company’s facility.

Since 2014, more than 18 chicks have been born at the site. The falcon nesting project has become an annual tradition at the Menasha mill, with direct involvement from employees. “Every year, employees help to maintain the boxes, cleaning out the waste following the nesting season and preparing the boxes for the next season”, said Joseph Geiger, Essity’s safety and environmental expert who leads the initiative.

In addition to maintaining the nest boxes, the team takes extra precautions to ensure the chicks remain safe as they learn to fly around the mill. The Menasha team also works with Greg Septon, founder of the Wisconsin Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project, to monitor and record the eggs and band the birds at the right time after they hatch.

So far, 16 falcons have been banded and registered through the project. Although the peregrine falcon was removed from the federal endangered species list in 1999, it is still listed as endangered in the state of Wisconsin by the Department of Natural Resources.

Since 2017, the birds’ return, hatching, and development have been closely monitored via a “falcon cam” installed at the facility.

A female falcon typically lays up to four eggs in late March or early April, which hatch about 30 days later. As of May 13, the four recently hatched chicks at the Menasha mill had not yet been named. Traditionally, employees at the Menasha paper mill and the Neenah converting facility vote on the names, but this year, Essity has expanded the vote to include employees from all its North American sites.