Xcel Energy Owl Cam
Owl Cam
Active: February - May
Valmont Power Station, Boulder, CO
Fort St. Vrain Station, Platteville, CO
We have two owl cams for you to enjoy watching Great Horned Owls raise their young at Xcel Energy’s Valmont Station in Boulder, Colorado, or at Fort St. Vrain Station near Platteville, Colorado. Because of the nocturnal habits of owls, we use infrared cameras that operate under low-light conditions. At Valmont Station, the nest box is installed 260 feet up one of the power plant stacks. The new nest box at Fort St. Vrain is positioned on the side of the vacant reactor building at the decommissioned nuclear plant. We have streaming video of the owls at Valmont, and photos for the day from both nest cams saved in two-minute increments and archived in the Daily Pix sections. Local time, Mountain Standard Time (MST), is used for these images.
Daily Pix
Latest News
The young owls decided to jump out of the nest box a little early. One of the owls was found near some of our equipment. We moved the owl back to the roof near the nest box so the mother can continue to keep watch and feed the young owl. We will continue to be on the lookout for the other young owl that is likely somewhere nearby.
The owlets at Fort St. Vrain are doing well. They seem to be very healthy and well-fed.
There are two baby Great Horned Owls in the nest box at Fort St. Vrain. This new nest box is located high on the outside of the old reactor building at the plant.
The Great Horned Owls have had a difficult week. We are saddened to report that the eggs have likely failed. The female owl left the nest box for an extended period and we believe she got into a territorial fight with another female owl at the plant. She seems to be recovering from any possible injuries. She has been resting and preening in the nest box. The adult male is still on the property, but unfortunately, the third owl is present too. We are hopeful our pair of owls will produce a second clutch of eggs in approximately two weeks as they have done in the past. Rest assured we will continue to keep a close watch on the owls at Valmont Station.
A third owl egg has arrived. The male Great Horned Owl has been standing watch in the nest box for the last 24 hours, while the female sits on her eggs.
And now there are two owl eggs.
The first Great Horned Owl egg has arrived.
One of the Great Horned Owls paid a visit to the nest box.
About Owl Cam
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
- Great horned owls are among the largest North American owls, at about 23-25 inches tall, with a wingspan greater than four feet, yellow eyes and fluffy feather tufts that resemble horns.
- Known for fierceness, great horned owls feed on a large variety of prey. They are referred to as the “tiger of the air” eating everything from mice and rats to squirrels, rabbits and even skunks. They can eat skunks because they are “sight hunters” and do not have a highly developed sense of smell. They will also capture both small and large birds.
- Male and female birds are similar, but females tend to be larger, with more markings.
- They live in a variety of habitats, including forests, swamps and desert canyons, and can be found from just south of the Arctic tundra in Canada to the pampas of South America. They breed in every American state including Alaska.
- Great horned owls are among the first birds to nest, laying eggs in January or February. The female typically lays two to three white eggs that hatch in about one month. When first hatched, the babies are white.
