This video captures the time and effort it took to mount a birdcam on a light tower overlooking Cornell University's athletic field
One of the many things that I love about all this newly affordable miniaturised technology is the astonishing number of birdcams that are sprouting up all around the world. These birdcams are providing the general public with an unprecedented "bird's eye view" of a growing number of animal species for the first time in the history of mankind. This can only be good for animals and for conservation.
This video provides a behind-the-scenes look at the expertise and effort that went in to mounting the red-tailed hawk cams on the light tower that is nearly 80 feet (24.4 metres) above Cornell University's athletic field.
This pair of red-tailed hawks, Buteo jamaicensis, has been nesting on this particular light tower for at least the past four years. In 2012, a camera was installed to provide a better look at these birds as they raise their young amid the bustle of a busy campus.
The female is nicknamed "Big Red" in honor of her alma mater. She is slightly larger than her mate, and has a darker head, nape and throat. She is banded on her right leg. According to banding records, she was banded as a youngster during her first autumn in 2003, so she is nearly nine years old. She was banded in nearby Brooktondale, New York.
The male is nicknamed "Ezra" after the co-founder of Cornell University. He has golden-tawny feathers on his face and head, and a paler neck than the female. He is banded on his left leg. According to banding records, He was first banded in 2006 as an adult bird on Judd Falls Road near the Cornell campus, so he is at least seven years old.
Just to whet your appetite for watching a birdcam, here's a video that captures the second chick (eyas [plural: eyasses]; a nestling hawk or falcon) as it hatches on 24 April 2012, with some encouragement from its adorable, fluffy sibling:
It typically takes 6-7 weeks before red-tailed hawk nestlings fledge (fledge: make their maiden flight from the nest), so stay tuned. Maybe you will watch them fledge in real time?
Watch the live streaming feed during the nesting season. (There also are birdcam links for several other nesting species on that page.)
If you are currently watching a birdcam, feel free to share stories about the birds and add the birdcam link in the comments section below. Be sure to preview your comment before publishing it to check that your link has embedded properly.
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The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology is on facebook and twitter @CornellBirds
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