Skip to content

Utah

Kestrel Cam at the Great Salt Lake

Last updated July 05, 2023

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

Thanks for tuning into the 2023 Kestrel Cam!

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 TNC’s Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve in Utah. On May 17, 2023, the first of five hatchlings came into the world! Five short weeks later, all five chicks took flight for the first time to join the vibrant Great Salt Lake's complex ecosystem.

Thanks to those who tuned into this year's cam. Whether you checked up on the chicks every day or missed some of their milestones, relive the 2023 season with our 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!

Have Some Avian Family Fun!

While you wait for next year's kestrel cam, 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.

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

Blog Posts

  • Learn the basics about these amazing raptors from HawkWatch International.

  • Get out and explore habitat for kestrels and hundreds of other bird species at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve. You can earn a prize!

  • 10 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.

Donate

Related Articles

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.

Children running on boardwalk of the Great Salt Lake.

Preserve Audio Tours

GPS-triggered audio tours at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve and Matheson Wetlands Preserve bring visitors closer to nature.

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.

VIEW MORE ITEMS