Live video: 5 wildlife cameras across Indiana

Spotting wildlife is a treat for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, but bald eagles and barn owls don’t always make an appearance.

For Hoosiers who want an intimate view of some of the birds and critters across the state, various live webcams are setup to show nature undisturbed.

Here’s a brief list of some of the active live cameras capturing nature:

South Bend Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine falcons can fly and swoop up to 242 mph making them faster than the average cars racing around Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The City of South Bend created a next box on the County City building in 2008 and installed a camera a few years later. Since then, live stream viewers have witnessed eggs hatched and different falcons call the next home.

Peregrine falcons have made a comeback in the U.S. after large populations declines hit the species in the mid ‘90s due to pesticide contamination affected their ability to reproduce. The species is no longer listed as federally endangered but is a species of special concern in Indiana.

Check out the live South Bend Falcam here: falcam.southbendin.gov/

Barred Owls

Barred owls can make up to eight distinct hoots and calls, earning them names like hoot owl or eight-hooter.

The president and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited, Jim Carpenter, set up a live camera in an owl box back in 1999. The box has been home to several nests.

Barred owls are found throughout Indiana and typically stay within six miles of their next.

Check out the live Barred Owl camera here: youtube.com/watch?v=1ZL6py8uo3w

Barn Owls

Barn owls are rarer than the Barred owls above and are considered an endangered species in Indiana due to habitat loss.

The barn owls have a heart-shaped face with spots on their chests. The nocturnal owls don’t hoot but make strange screams and hissings sounds at night.

Indiana DNR built a nesting box inside a southern Indiana barn in 2006 and equipped it with a camera.

Check out the live barn owl camera here: in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife-resources/animals/barn-owl/barn-owl-nest-webcam/

Bald Eagle cam

Needing no introduction, bald eagles populations have made a successful comeback after Indiana’s reintroduction program starting in 1985.

Bald eagles make huge nests, and the Environmental Change Initiative set up a live camera looking down into a nest at St. Patrick’s County Park in South Bend.

Bald eagles currently face threats from lead ammunition that poisons food sources.

Watch the live bald eagle camera here: youtube.com/watch?v=uclSpDuKo8E

What others are reading: Lead shot in deer carcasses is toxic to eagles, other animals. DNR wants hunters to change

Goose Pond Birding

Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife area in Greene County has perfect habitats for a variety of birds. Prairies and marshes host more than 260 bird species.

Rather than viewing a single nest or species, the live Goose Pond birding camera provides a wide view of various locations. Staff move the camera to capture the large flocks of sandhill cranes and waterfowl that visit the area.

Check out the live Goose Pond camera here: in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/properties/goose-pond-fwa/goose-pond-fish-and-wildlife-cameras/

Bonus Birdfeeder garden

As a bonus, there is a live bird feeder camera set up in an Indiana garden. The camera provides a view of at least four feeders, bowls of food, a bird bath and even miniature picnic tables and benches for songbirds and squirrels.

The location of the camera is unknown aside from being in a garden in Northern Indiana, but viewers can see a large variety of songbirds from cardinals and cowbirds to starlings and sparrows.

Check out the live birdfeeder camera here: youtube.com/watch?v=bZish-38Bbs

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Five wildlife cameras offer glimpse of natural Indiana