Black Stork Forest Nest Cam

A Rare Forest Sentinel

This camera frames the nest of the black stork (Ciconia nigra), one of Europe's scarcest and shyest birds. Listed among Latvia's specially protected species, the population numbers only an estimated 85 to 140 breeding pairs, making every nest a valuable point of conservation interest.

The Nest and Its History

The platform sits 14.3 metres above the ground, rebuilt in exactly the place and height of a natural nest that had collapsed. The site has been known since 2003, with the original structure thought to date to 2001, and has hosted generations of chicks across many seasons.

Old-Growth Woodland

Surrounding the nest is the kind of mature, undisturbed forest that black storks depend on, a mosaic of tall conifers and dense undergrowth. These ancient stands are an irreplaceable habitat, and the dense web of drainage ditches nearby shapes the feeding conditions for the resident birds.

A Window for Conservation

Operated by the Latvian Fund for Nature together with the Riga forestry service, the live feed turns a normally hidden, secretive corner of the woodland into an open window. Viewers can quietly follow the rhythms of a species that few people ever glimpse in the wild.