Since the project’s inception in 2012, the Cornell Lab’s Bird Cams have racked up hundreds of millions of views from fans in every corner of the world! Now that breeding season is upon us once again, we’re looking back at the most-watched moments from our nest cams, both past and present, in this video gallery. See if some of your favorite highlights made the list.
Mealtime is a universal language, and it’s no surprise that viewers flock to highlights that share these intimate views of wild birds feeding their young.
A Red-tailed Hawk nestling takes a relaxed approach during mealtime with Big Red on the Cornell Hawks Cam.
This fresh fish delivery and feeding on the Savannah Osprey Cam is our most-watched highlight to date.
A day-old chick receives its first meal from mom on the Laysan Albatross Cam.
This shockingly large snake provides a family meal on the Barred Owl Cam.
Two hatchlings spring up with mouths gaping on the American Robin Cam.
Feathers And Fun
The lighter side of birds’ lives brings joy, laughter, and warmth to the screen—and to the hearts of the cam community.
A landing attempt goes hilariously wrong for this adult returning to the breeding colony on the Northern Royal Albatross Cam.
One hungry nestling goes for a ride while trying to bite off more than it could chew on the American Kestrel Cam.
Iris the Osprey lets a squirrel know that it wandered up the wrong nesting pole on the Hellgate Osprey Cam.
A fly buzzing around the nest box offers plenty of entertainment for the owlets from the Barn Owl Cam.
Hatching And Fledging
Developmental milestones like hatching and fledging are big days in young birds’ lives, and these special moments are always a draw for viewers.
The Bermuda Cahow Cam follows this hatchling’s transition from a pipping egg to fluffy ball of down.
Tiny fledglings embark on their first flights in the cloud forests of Peru on the Green-and-white Hummingbird Cam.
This noisy nestling announces its first flight over the Atlantic Ocean on the White-tailed Tropicbird Cam.
Spectacular Scenes
Some of the most re-watchable highlights showcase the insightful, rare, and challenging moments in lives of birds—often from a perspective that wouldn’t be possible with a pair of binoculars.
A breeding pair of herons reunite after ascending to their nest above Sapsucker Woods Pond on the Great Blue Heron Cam.
On the Savannah Great Horned Owl Cam, this surprise attack by a Red-tailed Hawk catches the brooding female off guard.
Athena shows off her protective “third eyelid” while incubating her eggs on the Wildflower Center Great Horned Owl Cam.
A family of one of the world’s largest and most endangered birds shares tender moments together on the California Condor Cam.
Bird Cams is a free resource
providing a virtual window into the natural world of birds and funded by donors like you
