This falcon camera is brought to you by the MNDNR's Nongame Wildlife Program, which helps over 700 species of Minnesota wildlife thrive. The program is largely supported by donations from people like you. This year, we celebrate forty years of effective conservation.
Learn more about peregrine falcons
2023 Season
April 26, 2023
The female has now laid 4 eggs! She laid the final egg on April 20 and began incubating that day. The male has been taking over incubation duties so the female can hunt and feed. Just like with bald eagles, the female generally sits the majority of the time and during the night. The incubation period is 29-32 days, so pip watch begins on or about May 19. If all goes well, we will see little fuzzy heads in three weeks or so!
The male has now been identified as a three-year old. He was banded as a hatchling from the Mayo Building at the University of Minnesota campus, Hennepin county in 2020. Peregrines can breed as young as two years, so this could be his first or second brood.
The dead bird on the deck of the nesting box is a pigeon that was brought in quite a while ago. We don’t know why they weren’t interested in feeding on it, but it will remain until it dries up and blows off. We won’t disturb the birds while they are incubating.
April 11, 2023
The female was banded in 2013 at the St. Cloud correctional facility (there's a nesting box there). The Prison staff named her Acadia. She has been at our box at the Sentinel Properties building since 2016. We don't know who the male is or if he is banded.
There seems to be a territorial dispute between males currently at the site. This could be why there are two prey items on the deck that the female is not touching. It looks like two pigeons. Stay tuned! Incubation for peregrines is 29-32 days. She has not begun incubation yet.
March 21, 2023
Welcome to the Falcon Cam 2023! Here’s what has been going on at the Sentinel Properties (Formerly Bremer Bank) building.
A pair have been observed on territory since Christmas 2022. There is not a scrape in the box yet, which is more typical for a new female. The field team will continue with weekly site visits to hope to get the banding information for 2023. The first egg typically arrives early to mid-April. Peregrines have been at this site since 1988 and 86 young have been produced over the years. Stay tuned! We hope for a successful season this year.
Note: There is no audio available with this camera.
Note: 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 to, nor do we condone, any interference with this nest or its occupants.
Rewind video for instant replay: Click anywhere on the orange timeline bar below the image to go back up to 4 hours. Click on the "LIVE" button to return to the live feed. Make the video full screen by pressing the double arrow in the lower right. To escape from full screen, press the ESC key, or tap "Done" on your mobile device.
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Falcon Photo Gallery
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Nongame Wildlife Program is broadcasting a Web streaming 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 as well as the Midwest Peregrine Society, The Nongame Program is able to provide this unique opportunity to watch peregrines raise their young in an urban setting.
In 1987, a nesting 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. Last year was the 9th year that the pair "Jill" and "Sota" had occupied the box. Sota hatched in 1994 and had been nesting since 1998. Despite missing two toes on each foot (probably due to frostbite), and being 17 years old, Sota had been able to provide enough food for himself, all of his offspring and his mate during incubation and early brooding of chicks. Unfortunately, Sota has not been seen this season. Jill has returned and has a new mate and they have begun laying eggs. After about a 35-day incubation period, the chicks should hatch close to Memorial Day weekend.
Learn more about the peregrine falcon project »
The DNR Nongame Wildlife Program extends thanks to its partners in this webcam adventure: The Midwest Peregrine Society, Sentinel Properties and the Town Square building tenants.