Since January 2011, peregrine falcons have called UW Oshkosh home.

The female, Deborah, has laid eggs each year in a nesting box built by the UW Oshkosh Buildings and Grounds crew and placed on top of Gruenhagen Conference Center in March 2011. Her mates have included Hondo and Tallon, but this year the male was only referred to as “the mystery man.”

On May 26, two hatchlings, one female and one male, were banded and named Bonnie and Clyde.

Watch the peregrine falcons banding video:

Banding is a way for experts to better understand the peregrine’s life history. It can tell us how long they live, how many young they produce and where they travel, and it can help with management of the population, said Greg Septon, the falcon researcher who banded the birds.

Peregrine falcons, weighing only 2 pounds as adults with a 3-foot wingspan, are the fastest birds on the planet striking their prey at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour. The falcons choose nesting locations atop tall buildings and hunt smaller birds, primarily pigeons.

In Wisconsin, nearly 60 peregrine falcon chicks will be banded from 31 nesting pairs, Septon said.

Bonnie’s tracking number is 03/H black over blue and Clyde’s tracking number is P/53 black over red. The falcons can be tracked through the Midwest Peregrine Society website.

Since 2011, nearly 12 chicks have hatched in the UW Oshkosh nesting box.

Learn more:

• View photos of the banding
• Watch the falcon cam live feed
• Wisconsin DNR peregrine falcon profile
• Midwest Peregrine Society falcon tracking