Cornell Red-tailed Hawk Nest Cam

If you haven't seen the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Red-tailed Hawk nest cam, here is the link. 
The pair has been nesting on a light pole nearly 80 feet above Cornell University’s athletic fields on Tower Road for at least the past four years. In 2012, they installed a camera to get a better look at these majestic birds as they raise their young amid the bustle of a busy campus (see the behind-the-scenes video). In 2013, the birds moved to another light pole 200 yards to the west, and Cornell installed a second set of cameras to continue observing them.

The female, nicknamed “Big Red” in honor of her alma mater, is slightly larger, with a darker head, nape and throat, and is banded on her right leg. From banding records it is known she was banded in nearby Brooktondale, New York, during her first autumn in 2003, making her over nine years old.

 

The male, nicknamed “Ezra” after the co-founder of Cornell University, is banded on his left leg. He’s a bit smaller and has golden-tawny feathers on his face and head, and a paler neck than the female. He is at least seven years old and was first banded in 2006 as an adult bird on Judd Falls Road near the Cornell campus.

Nest cams are a great way to watch some of the details of wild birds' lives, including their challenges.

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