This falcon camera is brought to you by the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program, which has fostered the future of Minnesota’s rare and vulnerable wildlife for over 40 years. The program is largely supported by donations from people like you.
Welcome to the DNR FalconCam!
Peregrine falcons can be spotted at this nest box in downtown Saint Paul throughout the year. They are most active beginning in March with the start of the breeding season.
This site is highly desirable for the falcons because it provides a clear view of the Mississippi River. Peregrine falcons feed almost exclusively on birds, so this river corridor provides them with easy hunting, particularly during migration as birds journey along the Mississippi Flyway.
The FalconCam season ended on August 15, 2025. The FalconCam will return in March 2026. Thank you for watching!
2025 Season recap
The 2025 season began in March when two adult falcons were observed using the nestbox. They were identified by the Midwest Peregrine Society as the same pair who used it last year, a 12-year-old female and a 16-year-old male. This female falcon fledged from St. Cloud, Minnesota and has nested in this box since 2016. The male fledged from Gary, Indiana and this is his second year paired with this female.
They began their courtship, resulting in a clutch of four eggs. All chicks hatched over Mother’s Day weekend (May 10-11), but only three successfully fledged. The fourth chick perished over the weekend of May 31-June 1 and the mother removed the carcass from the nest.
The remaining three peregrine chicks were banded on June 2 by the Midwest Peregrine Society, with DNR staff in attendance. Two of the chicks were male and one was female. The identification bands of the chicks are:
- USGS silver band: 2447-09952, field readable black over blue band: 49/AB, male.
- USGS silver band: 2447-09954, field readable black over blue band: 51/AB, female.
- USGS silver band: 2447-09953, field readable black over blue band: 50/AB, male.
The parents continued to care for the chicks and all three successfully fledged at the end of June.
Notes: This is live video of wild birds in the natural process of raising their young. Life and death struggles occur all the time in the natural world. DNR staff will monitor this camera and will evaluate incidents as they occur, but we do not plan or condone, any interference with this nest or its occupants.
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About the DNR FalconCam
The Nongame Wildlife Program streams video of peregrine falcons nesting on the top of the Bremer Bank Building in downtown St. Paul. With the help of the Town Square merchants and the Midwest Peregrine Society, the Nongame Wildlife Program is able to provide this unique opportunity to watch peregrines raise their young in an urban setting.
In 1987, a nest box was placed on the east side of the building and was first used by a pair of falcons in 1988. Several pairs of falcons have chosen this site as their home, producing 65 chicks through 2012. Several pairs have nested in the box and the current female has occupied since 2016.
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The DNR Nongame Wildlife Program thanks its partners in this webcam adventure: The Midwest Peregrine Society, Sentinel Properties and the Town Square building tenants.