After much anticipation and a whole lot of webcam watching, our falcon family of 2025 is officially complete!
On May 22, we welcomed falcon expert Greg Septon—founder of the Wisconsin Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program—back to the Briess grain elevator in Manitowoc for the annual chick banding.
Greg banded all four of our newly hatched fluffballs, a vital part of the ongoing mission to monitor, protect, and grow the peregrine population. During the banding, three of the chicks (officially called eyasses) were identified as females, and one as a male. If you noticed one chick looking like he skipped the weight room—that’s Dave. Male peregrines are typically about a third smaller than their female siblings, but don’t let their size fool you—they’re every bit as fierce!
Speaking of names, after a week of spirited Facebook submissions, the results are in! Meet the 2025 Briess Falcon Fab Four:
- Spitfire – submitted by Brian Schneider (this one surely has attitude)
- Schnitzky – submitted by Eileen Worman (equal parts mystery and charm)
- Bourbon – submitted by Wiwid Paramita (smooth, bold, and probably a little spicy)
- Dave – submitted by Team Briess (in honor of Dave Luckow, who worked at the Manitowoc Malt Plant for 47 years and passed away unexpectedly in February)
Each winner will be given a custom-designed mug with a picture of the falcon they named, along with some tasty Briess Malted Milk Balls—nothing better than that!
Since 1998, our grain elevator has hosted more than 84 of these sky-high predators—and we’re not done yet. These chicks are growing fast with their black feathers coming in, flapping harder, and getting ready to take their first flights over Manitowoc and beyond.
Want to witness the transformation in real time? Keep watching the Live Falcon Cam on our website for some fun sibling rivalry and cheer on our feathered friends as they prepare to leave the nest and conquer the skies.
