Birdcam | Owl Cam

We have two owl cams established at the Valmont Station, Boulder, Colo., and at Fort St. Vrain Station, Platteville, Colo. Both stations use infrared cameras that operate under low-light conditions because of the nocturnal habits of owls.

The first owl cam at Valmont was originally intended for peregrine falcons, but they were not attracted to the box. We were pleased when the owls started using the nest box instead! The owl cam at Valmont Station is installed 260 feet above ground because the owls prefer nesting in a more secluded area, and mother owls can become quite aggressive when raising their young.

At the Fort St. Vrain station the nest box is positioned on the side of the vacant reactor building at the decommissioned nuclear plant.

Watch the streaming live video at Valmont; look at daily pictures from both nests of these night-time creatures and check for tweets about the great horned owls on Twitter.

View the St. Vrain Owl Cam View the Valmont Owl Cam

credit: Keith Shannon/USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

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Valmont Daily Pics
Fort St. Vrain Daily Pics

News

February 13 2013

Our first egg of the season has been spotted at Valmont!

About

For years great horned owls have lived at Valmont Station along with other birds and wildlife. Originally we constructed the next box for peregrine falcons, but peregrines have natural nesting sites nearby and weren’t attracted to the box. We were pleased when the great horned owls showed up. Previously they nested in areas closer to plant operations. Mother owls can be quite aggressive when protecting their young - on several occasions owls attacked our employees working too close to a nest. With their preferred nesting area now 260 feet in the air, the birds have a secluded spot for raising their young and our employees are safer.

Interested in corresponding with other Bird Cam viewers? Join the BirdCam Forum available through the Raptor Resource Project.

Owl Facts

Great horned owls are known as the "tiger of the air" due to their fierceness and willingness to eat a variety of prey. These owls eat everything: mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels and even skunks!
Great horned owls span a large geographical range and breed in a variety of habitats, including forests, swamps and desert canyons.
Female birds tend to be larger than males, often with more markings.
Great horned owl babies hatch in about one month. When first hatched these babies are white.
These owls are about 23 - 25 inches tall, have a wingspan greater than four feet and are among the largest owls of North America.