FalconCam in St. Paul goes live again for the season, Minnesota DNR says

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has again set up a livestream of a peregrine falcon nest box in downtown St. Paul in an effort to monitor and protect the species.

This year marks the 16th time the state agency has put up the FalconCam. Officials said it provides "a close-up, high-resolution view of the seasonal behaviors associated with nesting, such as courtship displays and nest preparation."

A 14-year-old female falcon from St. Cloud is one of two adult falcons using the nest box, according to the agency. The birds have dug a shallow hole in the gravel where they may soon lay eggs. 

"If the eggs hatch again this year, viewers will be able to watch these notable raptors rear their chicks throughout the spring," the agency said in a news release. "Last year, the pair laid their first egg on March 31, and eggs could appear around the same time this year."

Peregrine falcons nearly went extinct in North America in the 1970s, officials said. The population was restored in Minnesota with the help of local falconers, the Midwest Peregrine Society and the agency's Nongame Wildlife Program, which supports the state's rare and vulnerable wildlife species. 

Several pairs of falcons have used the nest box since 1987. They've produced 93 chicks through last year, the agency said.