Falcon Cam Gives Bird Watchers Rare Glimpse of Fastest Flyers

A pair of peregrine falcons—best known for being the fastest animals in the world—have set up their nest in St. Charles County, and thanks to a webcam, bird enthusiasts can watch as the falcons lay eggs and hatch chicks.

“The peregrine falcon has made an incredible comeback from the brink of extinction,” said Jeff Meshach, director of the World Bird Sanctuary. “What we will see at the nest box is the result of tens of thousands of hours of labor to make the peregrine falcon a common site again.”

To watch the falcons live, click on the Falcon Cam.

The falcons built their nest in a box on a platform at the top of the Ameren Missouri Sioux Energy Center in West Alton.

“It did require some pretty good agility by the guys to actually get up there and build this structure,” said Scott Liebel, an Ameren engineer and board member at the World Bird Sanctuary, in a video.

Peregrine falcon nests are often on the tops of cliffs, skyscrapers or other “inaccessible” places, so to have one under a webcam is “unique and exciting,” Liebel added.

On Monday, the female falcon laid the first of her eggs, Meshach said. She is expected to lay three or four more eggs over the next two weeks, and the eggs will hatch in mid-April.

“Our camera will provide a window into the nesting life of the world’s fastest creature, and I personally will find it hard to get any desk work done as I watch my favorite of the world’s bird species,” Meshach said.

Ameren partnered with the World Bird Sanctuary and the Missouri Department of Conservation to build the nest box and install the webcam.

The camera is live for viewing from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. seven days a week.