April marks the beginning of “falcon cam season” and conservation groups, energy companies, libraries, etc. have fired up their livestreams of one of the planet’s most popular predators.
The streams give viewers an intimate look at the nesting and chick-rearing behavior of peregrine falcons around the United States. Here are some of the best cams found around the web for this 2017 season (April – July).
This list will be updated with additional falcon cams as they come online. Only cams that currently have falcons are included below.
Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, Ohio) – This is a new addition to the list and they’re doing a fantastic job.
“Bowling Green’s pair of Peregrine Falcons have once again set up shop in the clock tower of the Wood County Courthouse to expand their family. You can watch their activity through our live Falcon Cam, a partnership between the Wood County Commissioners and BGSU. This is the seventh year in a row the falcons have chosen this spot to nest. The Peregrine Falcon is BGSU’s official mascot.”
Great Spirit Bluff (La Crescent, MN) – Another great high-resolution (1080p) stream of nesting falcons! This is a new one on the list this year and they’re doing a fantastic job.
“The Great Spirit Bluff peregrine falcons are nesting on a bluff located near La Crescent, MN, overlooking Lock and Dam #7 on the Mississippi River.“
WoodmanLife Tower (Omaha, Nebraska) – This cam provided some great images last year and it makes a return in the 2017 season.
“Watch these once-endangered, beautiful birds of prey interact, incubate and hatch their young on our five falcon cams. Discover how peregrine falcons have called the WoodmenLife Tower in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, home since 1988 and how, in that time, more than 50 falcon chicks have hatched here.”
The Peregrine Fund (Boise, Idaho) – Happy to have this falcon cam back on the list. There are currently three chicks in the nest. This is a great opportunity to witness feeding and rearing of young falcons even though the video quality is only 360p. Last year all the chicks were healthy and fledged from the nest. Fingers crossed that this is another successful year.
“The Peregrine Fund was instrumental in the recovery of Peregrine Falcons in the United States and our work led to them being removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1999. It is particularly neat to get to watch a pair doing so well right in downtown Boise!”
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (Harrisburg, PA) – A great cam opportunity with both daytime and infrared night vision camera capabilities. They also keep a detailed log (going back several years) here.
“It all began in 1996, when a male peregrine was seen in Harrisburg. Officials from the Pennsylvania Game Commission scouted downtown locations for a suitable site to place a nest tray to see if it would attract a pair of peregrine falcons. The Rachel Carson State Office building was selected since it had a covered ledge 15 stories above the ground. A nest tray was placed on the ledge, and the following spring, the male returned with a female peregrine.“
Chesapeake Conservancy (Baltimore, MD) – Happy to include this one in the list again after the success of last year.
“The cam is a unique way to watch these beautiful birds of prey in their home, but of course that is not always easy for humans to watch. Continue to watch the story unfold at the family’s nesting site on the 33rd-floor of the Transamerica skyscraper. Peregrine falcons have been living on this ledge at 100 Light Street near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor for over 35 years.”