WATCH EGGS HATCHING NEW BEAUTIFUL BIRDS NOW!
NEST CAMS
Nest cams are small internet-connected video cameras hidden near birds nests in order to observe nesting behaviors. They are a boon to not only scientific research and conservation efforts, but they are also wonderful to watch.
Many nest cams are installed at geographically distant or otherwise inaccessible bird nests.
We are sharing a few with you today so you can watch eggs hatch the next generation of beautiful birds. You can watch them live and you can watch highlights from past nest episodes. They are such a thrill!
Thirty years ago, the bald eagles population in Pennsylvania had been decimated. Only 3 nesting pairs remained. Now there are 270 nesting pairs, thanks to efforts by the Pennsylvania Game Commission with help from the Canadian government. See nest cam video.
As part of their effort, they installed this bald eagle nest cam (above) in Hanover, PA.
Images in this post show eggs, laid in mid-February, just hatched.
Readers of LancasterOnline.com selected the names Honor and Justice for the two newly hatched eaglets.
Hundreds of thousands of viewers from more than 140 countries have checked out this bald eagle nest cam this season, according to the Game Commission.
The camera will likely stay online until after the young eagles fledge from the nest and officials are legally allowed to approach the nest again.
Though no longer considered an endangered species, bald eagles are protected from disturbance and hunting by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Cams such as this one can help maintain and restore bird populations by boosting public awareness and efforts.
GREAT HORNED OWL EGGS HATCHING
Great horned owls don’t build their own nests, instead they take over abandoned nests of other species.
This nest cam, installed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, followed this pair of great horned owls as they mated, laid and incubated their eggs, as well as the owlets’ hatchings last month. You can watch the hatchlets live now.
The nest sits nearly 80′ above one of the six Audubon International Certified golf courses at The Landings, on Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Georgia. Funded by Skidaway Audubon with support from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
The CLO and its partners operate many nest cams in North America as part of its effort to create the world’s most comprehensive resource for bird watching, information and conservation of North American birds. Check out the CLO site All About Birds.
OSPREY NEST CAM
Ospreys are found on every continent on earth except for Antarctica. They mate for life. The female osprey lays between 2-5 eggs each year in the spring.
This nest cam, situated on the Chesapeake Bay, watches an Osprey couple named Tom and Audrey, who just recently returned to their nest here after migrating from their winter home in South America. It is operated by the Chesapeake Conservancy.
Osprey populations became threatened when DDT polluted their habitats and food supply from the 1950s to 1970s. But thanks to conservation efforts the species has mostly rebounded.
Skyline Technology Solutions manages this nest cam stream, supported by the Shared Earth Foundation. The cam was installed by Investigative Options Inc.
ALLEN’ S HUMMINGBIRD NEST CAM
Located in Van Nuys, California, this Allen’s Hummingbird nest is home to a mother and her two chicks. This nest cam, run by Cornell lab of Ornithology, is best viewed from 7am to 8pm PT.
This nest, nicknamed Heddy, is about the size of a golfball and is made of hedera helix ivy, and is held together with spider silk, which stretches as the babies grow.
Check it out quickly though as these small chicks leave the nest at 22-28 days old.
LAYSAN ALBATROSS NEST CAM
There are two Laysan Albatross nests featured in this nest cam installed on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii.
One nest is occupied by Malumalu and Ko’olau and their chick. The other is occupied by Akamai and Ala and their their chick.
Albatross mate for life. They lay only one egg per year at most, which they each take turn incubating over the course of 64 days.
A chick takes about 5.5 months to fully mature. Once it leaves the nest and takes flight, it will not touch land again for 3–5 years.
This nest cam is operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Check out the newly hatched chick!
For great tips and info about beautiful birdwatching, check out HobbyHelp.
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IMAGE CREDITS:
- Photo: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission. Bald Eagle Nest via Cordorus State Park Nest Cam.
- Image: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission. Hanover, PA Nest Cam.
- Image: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission. Hanover, PA Nest Cam.
- Video: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission. Pennsylvania Bald Eagle Nest Cam.
- Image: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission. Hanover, PA Nest Cam.
- Image: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission. Hanover, PA Nest Cam.
- Image: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission. Hanover, PA Nest Cam.
- Photo: by GoldCountryWildlifeRescue. Great Horned Owl hatching.
- Video: by Lab of Ornithology. Savannah Great Horned Owl Cam.
- Photo: by Steve Corey. Great Horned Owl and Owlets.
- Photo: by Len Blumin. Great Horned Owl Owlets.
- Photo: by Chesapeake Bay Program. Osprey Eggs.
- Photo: by RonG. Dinner Time. Osprey feeding its chicks.
- Photo: by Mike's Birds. Allen’s Hummingbird. With Nest.
- Video: by Allen's Hummingbird Nest Cam. Live Cam.
- Photo: by Mike's Birds. Allen’s Hummingbird Nest.
- Photo: by Sinead Stewart via MaryEllen and Paul. Albatross with Egg.
- Photo: by USFWS Pacific Region. Nesting Laysan Albatrosses.
- Photo: by Forest and Kim Starr. Albatross Egg on Spit Island, Midway Atoll.
- Photo: by David Cook. Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris). West Point Island, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas).
- Video: by Lab of Ornithology. Cornell Lab Kauai Laysan Albatross Cam.
- Photo: by Liam Quinn. Black-browed Albatross and Chick. On West Point Island in the Falkland Islands.
- Photo: by Peter Goodfellow, Avian Architecture, via Thermal Birding. Hummingbird Cup Nest.
- Photo: by Up_The_Butt_Jesus. Hummingbird Nest.