Peregrine Falcon Cliff Nest Cam

The Great Spirit Bluff nest

Set into a towering limestone cliff along the Upper Mississippi River, this ledge is one of the most storied peregrine falcon nest sites monitored by the Raptor Resource Project. The camera frames the sheer rock face and the gnarled perch branches the falcons favour for their lookout over the valley below.

The peregrine falcon

The peregrine falcon is renowned as the fastest animal on Earth, reaching astonishing speeds in its hunting stoop. Here you can study its slate-grey plumage, barred underparts and fierce dark eyes at remarkably close range as it guards its cliff-top territory.

A living conservation story

Peregrines were once driven to the brink across North America, and nests like this one represent a remarkable recovery. Following the falcons through courtship, incubation and the rearing of their chicks offers an intimate look at a species brought back from the edge.

The Mississippi bluff country

Great Spirit Bluff rises above the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota, a landscape of dramatic river bluffs and forested valleys that escaped the last glaciation. It is prime raptor habitat and a scenic stretch of the Mississippi flyway.