In 1990, a peregrine falcon nesting box was installed 213 feet high atop our elevator, thanks to a collaboration between Continental Grain and the Raptor Resource Project. This nesting box offers a sanctuary for peregrine falcons, a species once on the brink of extinction. During the years 2000 to 2012, a banded female falcon named Husker from Nebraska returned annually to lay her eggs. Since then, there have been several pairs nesting here, and the last two years, the same pair has returned. In 2007, a webcam was added to the nest box, allowing Red Wing Grain employees and the community to observe the falcons as they care for their eggs, which typically hatch in early to mid-May.
Live Stream
Our Falcon Cam livestreams happen seasonally. Catch up on past livestreams by visiting our Youtube page.
About Peregrine Falcons
Peregrine falcons are said to be the fastest birds in the world, reaching diving speeds of up to 300 miles per hour! These birds are similar in size and weight to crows, with females being larger and more powerful than males. Adult peregrines have slate blue-gray wings and backs with black barring, pale undersides, white faces marked by a distinctive black stripe on each cheek, and large, dark eyes. Their long, pointed wings are perfect for high-speed hunting. Peregrine falcons primarily prey on birds they catch mid-air, such as ducks, pheasants, and pigeons. Despite their high mortality rate, some peregrines can live up to 15 years and typically start breeding at around two years old.
Young Falcons
Baby falcons, known as eyasses, are born wet and covered in white down. By three weeks, their brown juvenile feathers start to emerge through the white fuzz, and by five or six weeks, they are fully feathered in brown. Eyasses are initially helpless, with one parent (usually the female, but sometimes the male) staying with them while the other hunts for food. These chicks consume a tremendous amount of food, doubling their weight in just six days and growing to ten times their birth size by three weeks. As they grow, eyasses can be seen