Kestrel Cam at the Great Salt Lake

Last updated June 17, 2024

A closeup of a kestrel, a small bird of prey with a curved beak, blue-grey head and brown, white and black striped breast. — American kestrel The American kestrel is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. © Shutterstock

Every spring, thousands of nature lovers watch kestrel chicks grow up in real time alongside their harried parents thanks to the live cam mounted on a nest box at The Nature Conservancy’s Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve in Utah.

Whoa! The kestrels aren't done in 2024—they're trying for a second clutch! This doesn't happen often, and we are lucky to witness it! Meanwhile, the five kestrel chicks from the first clutch of 2024 have left the nest.

While you wait for the next big moment in the kestrel nest, check out the 2023 recap video below.

Kestrel Nest Cam 2023 Recap (0:50) On May 17, 2023, the first of five hatchlings came into the world in a nest box at The Nature Conservancy’s Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve in Utah. Watch these chicks grow up in our 2023 recap video!

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Have Some Avian Family Fun!

Take a moment to learn more about these colorful raptors and find out why scientists are concerned about this species. You can use the activities and resources below to learn more about American kestrels and the habitats they, and many other birds, need to thrive.

**American Kestrel** Closeup of a kestrel with a gray head and brown and black back. © Courtney Celley/USFWS

Blog Posts

Read an exciting story of Life, Death and Bird Cam Drama for the kestrels at the Great Salt Lake Shoreland Preserve.
The Making of a Falcon? Follow kestrel chicks from egg to flight in this informative blog post.

Learn the basics about these amazing raptors from HawkWatch International.
Ten million birds rely upon the lake’s waters, wetlands and uplands each year, including American kestrels. How much do you know about Utah’s inland sea? Take the quiz!
You can listen at the preserve or online! Why do kestrels nest here? This tour offers facts and stories about the preserve’s wildlife and habitats, including the uplands that are vital to kestrels.

Help Protect Migratory Birds at the Great Salt Lake

Support our work in Utah, including the preservation of migratory bird habitat at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, by making a charitable contribution today.

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Landscape view of a long boardwalk through a marsh that ends in a covered pavilion.

The Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve

The Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve provides visitors with more than a mile of boardwalk and access to the wetlands of the Great Salt Lake—important habitat for more than 250 species of birds.

Aerial view of a brine shrimp boat and its nets.

Will We Save the Great Salt Lake?

This three-part series gives visitors the in-depth story behind the Great Salt Lake and its increasingly urgent plight.

An American kestrel flies through the air, with its wings pointed down toward the ground.

Life, Death & Bird Cam Drama at the Great Salt Lake

The American kestrel makes for a good reality TV star—charismatic and colorful. Catch up on the kestrel cam story and this year's nesting family.

Kestrel Cam at the Great Salt Lake