Guide to the best Falcon Cams of 2016

In case you were unaware, it’s Falcon Cam season and conservation groups, energy companies, libraries, etc. all have their Falcon Cams up and running. The 24-hour live 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 2016 season (April – July)

Noteworthy Live Streams

To access the live streams, simply click on the links (which are highlighted in blue) and you’ll be transferred to the webcam host. Caution: The streams feature predatory birds that are engaged in the full circle of life and will obviously feature images that some viewers may find unsettling.

Arizona Game and Fish (Phoenix, AZ) – This is a great, high resolution stream! “Peregrine falcons have been nesting in the downtown Phoenix area for more than a decade.  Early on, the birds selected the Maricopa County Administration Building as a nest site.  An agreement with the county now allows the Arizona Game and Fish Department to monitor the birds’ nesting progress.”

WoodmanLife Tower (Omaha, Nebraska) – “Experience the WoodmenLife Tower peregrine falcons at FalconWatch. 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.”

San Jose City Hall (San Jose, CA) – “Since 2007, falcon fans have been privileged to witness the fascinating lives of the peregrine falcons settled atop City Hall through the lens of the FalconCam, maintained by the City of San José in partnership with the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group at the University of California – Santa Cruz. Now, thanks to generous support of individuals and corporations, the San José Peregrine Falcon Alliance raised $25,000 to fund upgrades to the FalconCam and the falcon nestbox. The new FalconCam system includes two cameras that provide alternating, panorama views of the nest and the ledges where the falcons can often be found.”

The Peregrine Fund (Boise, Idaho) – “This is the eighth year a webcam has provided you with a front-row seat for watching the daily activities at a nest box in downtown Boise. 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!”

Chesapeake Conservancy (Baltimore, MD) – “Baltimore’s falcon pair Boh & Barb have three eyasses in their high-rise nest. There were four eggs, but sadly one eyass died shortly after hatching. The survival rate for peregrines is 50% the first few years. 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.”

Illinois Peregrine Webcams (Chicago, IL) – Brought to you by the Field Museum, “Watch the progress of nesting Peregrine Falcons through live streaming webcams! Thanks to the generous support of our site hosts who fund and maintain their web cameras, we are able to peer into the nests of a few of Illinois’ Peregrine families.”