Where is the nest located?
The FalconCam nest is located in downtown Saint Paul near the top of the Town Square Tower building.
How long has the FalconCam been streaming?
The FalconCam was one of the DNR’s first wildlife cameras and began streaming in 2014.
Who runs the FalconCam?
The FalconCam is run by the Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program, a wildlife conservation program within the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that works to ensure a future for the state's rare and vulnerable wildlife.
The camera keeps buffering, what should I do?
Try the following troubleshooting steps.
Reload the webpage.
Clear your cache of recent browser data.
Try a different browser.
Restart your computer.
How do I get a FalconCam?
Live nature webcams are still a new engagement tool in the world of nature education. There are a number around the country, including ours, and each one runs a bit differently. Our FalconCam is a complex endeavor requiring significant coordination and funds. Power, internet and physical access availability at nests tend to be the immediate limiting factors for most nest locations. The Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program uses a high-end security camera to view the falcons, which requires a reliable power source and reliable, strong internet connectivity to run.
However, putting up a wildlife camera for personal viewing can be far more simple. There are many trail cameras or USB connected cameras that you can install at a bird feeder or somewhere on your property. You should not need a Federal or state permit as long as you follow the guidance provided by the USFWS and do not use the web cam for fund raising purposes.
How many peregrine falcons are in Minnesota?
As of 2025, the new population of peregrine falcons in Minnesota is self-sustaining, with more than 70 occupied territories producing 120 to 150 chicks every year. We reached our original regional (Midwest) goal of 20 pairs in 1993 after just 11 years and have now more than tripled that goal.
Peregrine falcons were removed from the U.S. federal endangered species list in 1999 and Minnesota's state list in 2013. Because the Nongame Wildlife Program is a small, but mighty wildlife conservation program, there is a limited capacity as to which wildlife species the program can monitor. The fact that the peregrine falcon has moved off our monitoring list, and stayed off for twenty years, is an incredible feat of conservation given their endangered status just a few decades ago.
Peregrine falcons are currently listed as a species of special concern and a species of greatest conservation need in Minnesota.
What is peregrine falcon’s conservation story?
Among the most widely distributed birds in the world, peregrines are found on all continents except Antarctica.
In the 1900s, peregrine populations became threatened by a host of human activities. Their eggs were taken from nests by collectors. The birds were shot by waterfowl hunters, by homing pigeon fanciers and by shooters who targeted them at fall migratory passage sites such as Duluth's Hawk Ridge. The biggest blow to peregrines came from the pesticide DDT, which was used to control agricultural and forest pests after World War II. DDT impaired the calcium metabolism of raptors including peregrines, thinning their eggshells so much that the eggs were often crushed under the weight of the incubating parents.
By 1965, peregrines were extirpated all the way from the Rockies to the Atlantic coast.
Minnesota created a Nongame Wildlife Checkoff on state tax forms in 1980, allowing citizens to donate to support nongame species. By 1982, donations had grown to over $500,000, providing the funding needed to restart peregrine falcon reintroduction efforts. With strong community support and partnerships across the region, young falcons were supplied by falconers and released, launching the Upper Midwest peregrine restoration project in earnest. This was coordinated by the Midwest Peregrine Society who involved thirteen states and two Canadian provinces.
Their restoration has been a huge success story for Minnesota!
To learn more about peregrine falcon restoration, visit the article “A Passion for Peregrines”
Where do peregrine falcons nest?
Peregrines nest and raise young annually at traditional cliff nest sites along the North Shore of Lake Superior, as well as on the bluffs along the Mississippi River. In addition, many pairs nest at man-made habitats of power plant stacks, skyscraper balconies and rooftops in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth and Rochester, and on bridges over the Mississippi River.
When are peregrine falcons most active in Minnesota?
Peregrine falcons can be found in large urban areas, such as Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester, as well as the North Shore of Lake Superior and the Driftless area of the Upper Mississippi River area. Peregrine falcons can be spotted at the nest box in downtown Saint Paul throughout the year. They are most active beginning in March with the start of the breeding season.
Peregrine falcons are generally not found along cliff nesting areas during the winter. However, they can occasionally be seen in urban areas such as Duluth and the Twin Cities. Most peregrine falcons that nest along the North Shore migrate for the winter, except for those in Silver Bay, which often remain because they rely heavily on pigeons in town for food. Peregrine falcons seen along the Mississippi River in winter are typically urban birds that nest on structures like grain elevators rather than the natural cliff nesting sites.
In the spring and fall, peregrine falcons become more noticeable as they migrate through Minnesota and as breeding activity begins. You may see them flying swiftly along river corridors or high above cities, especially during morning and evening when hunting activity peaks.
In the summer, peregrine falcons are often active near nesting sites on cliffs, bridges, energy smokestacks and tall buildings, frequently making fast hunting flights to capture birds that gather around lakes, rivers and urban green spaces.
How many eggs do peregrine falcons lay? When do they lay their eggs?
In Minnesota, peregrine falcons usually lay 3–4 eggs per season. They begin “scraping” their nest for eggs in March and usually lay them in mid-March to early may.
What happens after an egg is laid?
Eggs hatch after about 33-35 days from the laying of the second to last egg. Both parents take part in the incubation of eggs and the feeding of the young.
Hatching begins when the first egg has a "pip", or small hole in the egg. Baby falcons are called eyasses.
They fledge from the nest at about 35-42 days of age, usually near the end of June through early July.
Why do the young peregrine falcons look different from their parents?
Peregrine falcon chicks look different from their parents because they go through distinct developmental stages, each suited to survival at that age.
Newly hatched chicks are covered in fluffy white down. This soft, pale coat helps keep them warm and can also blend with the nest ledge, offering some camouflage from predators.
After a few weeks, chicks replace their white down with darker brown juvenile feathers. These still look different from the blue-gray and sharply patterned adult plumage. The juvenile colors provide extra camouflage while they practice flying and hunting.
Young peregrines don’t get their full adult look until they’re about a year old. The gradual shift in appearance reflects their transition from nest-bound chicks to independent hunters learning to survive on their own.
How long does it take baby peregrine falcons to leave the nest?
Baby peregrine falcons (called eyasses) are helpless when they are born, covered with white fluffy down. Both parents take part in the incubation of eggs and the feeding of the young. When they reach about 3 weeks in age, eyasses’ white down is replaced with feathers. This is typically when biologists will band them and take some blood identification and historical purposes. Peregrines fledge from 35-42 days of age. They can live up to 20 years and reach breeding age by one year.
Why don’t I see a nest in their box?
Peregrine falcons don’t build large, stick-filled nests like eagles or hawks. Instead, they create a simple scrape: a shallow bowl-shaped depression in gravel, sand or debris on a cliff ledge or building. That is why they can be seen nesting in urban spaces where tall buildings act as cliff ledges.
The scrape is just big enough to hold the eggs and small chicks, helping to keep them from rolling off the ledge.
How can I tell a female peregrine falcon from a male peregrine falcon?
It is difficult to distinguish peregrine falcon males and females. However, females are typically 1/3 larger than males. When seen together at a nest, the larger bird is almost always the female, while the smaller, more compact bird is the male.
How long do peregrine falcons live?
Peregrine falcons live, on average, to 6-8 years old. They can live up to 20 years and reach their breeding age when they turn one year old.
The first year is the most dangerous. Many young peregrines don’t survive due to accidents, starvation while learning to hunt or collisions with buildings and vehicles. Once they reach adulthood and establish a territory, their chances of living longer increase significantly.
What do peregrine falcons eat?
Peregrine falcons primarily eat other birds. They are specialized bird hunters and capture prey in fast, midair dives. In Minnesota, common prey includes pigeons and doves (especially in urban areas), shorebirds and ducks along rivers and lakes and songbirds such as starlings, blackbirds and sparrows.
They hunt by spotting prey from a high perch or while flying, then performing a powerful stoop (dive) that can exceed 200 mph. The impact often stuns or kills the prey midair, and the falcon then catches it or retrieves it after it falls.
Are peregrine falcons really the fastest bird in the world?
Yes! Peregrine falcons have been clocked diving at over 224 miles per hour.