Local News

Falcon chicks on I&M building have been named

hawk
Hawk - Photo Supplied by Indiana Michigan Power

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The baby falcons were briefly taken from their nest on top of the Indiana Michigan Power Center and given bands and names.

The parents of the chicks, Jamie and Moxie, watched closely with some angry squawking while people from the Indiana Audubon Society, Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehabilitation, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources took Marshmallow, Squirt, and Stewart and gave them their identification bands.

This is the 10th year that Jamie and Moxie have nested on top of the building. After falcons mature, they can nest up to 200 miles away from where they were originally hatched. The numbered bands help track their movements.

It’s suspected that one of Jamie’s and Moxie’s past chicks, Flash, has a nest and chicks in downtown South Bend.  Another chick, Carla, was recently seen in Pittsburgh.

The Boys & Girls Club of Fort Wayne was asked by I&M to pick out several names for the chicks and then those names were put on I&M’s social media pages for fans to vote on. Over 1,800 people voted on the names and Marshmallow, Squirt, and Stewart took the most votes.

“This is such a special event for the community, employees, and bird watchers from around the globe each year,” said Stephanny Smith, I&M’s director of Communications. “We love seeing the chicks bringing everyone together and educating our community on the falcons that can be seen high above our city. We hope we can continue this tradition and the enrichment it provides for years to come.”

The falcon chicks are fully fledged five to six weeks after they hatch, and they typically leave their nest a few months after that. Since March, when Jamie and Moxie returned to the nest, the I&M FalconCam has had more than 45,000 views.

You can watch the falcons, Jamie (father), Moxie (mother), Marshmallow (female), Squirt (male), and Stewart (male) live 24/7 by clicking here.

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1 comment

zidane May 24, 2023 at 2:08 am

thank you for the article

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