Rooz the Squirrel's Nest in Echo, USA — Live Webcam Online
Rooz the Squirrel — Who She Is
In the canopy of a tree in the town of Echo, located in the state of Oregon in the northwestern United States, lives a gray squirrel named Rooz. This online camera is mounted right next to her nest — a drey — and allows viewers to observe the life of this fluffy creature in real time. Rooz the squirrel has become a true internet star: in the first year of the stream's existence, it garnered 8.5 million views, and on July 17, 2022, the broadcast moved to a dedicated YouTube channel, which speaks to the sustained interest of viewers in the life of this squirrel and her kits.
Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are not native to Oregon. They were brought from the East Coast of the United States in the early 20th century and have since adapted beautifully to local conditions. Unlike red squirrels, gray squirrels are larger and more tolerant of human presence, making them ideal subjects for a webcam.
Echo — A Little Corner of Wildlife
Echo is a tiny town in Umatilla County, Oregon. It sits at an elevation of approximately 604 meters above sea level in the Umatilla River valley. The population barely exceeds 700 people, and the surrounding landscape consists of arid plains typical of the northwestern United States, transitioning into the foothills of the Blue Mountains.
It is in this quiet setting, far from major cities, that Rooz the squirrel has made her home. The webcam in Echo shows not a staged scene but the genuine life of a wild animal in its natural habitat. The trees here are predominantly poplars and willows along the river, with oaks and pines on the higher ground. The squirrel chose a spot with a good vantage point and protection from the wind.
How the Webcam at the Nest Came to Be
The idea to install a camera at a squirrel's nest came from simple curiosity — to watch how a wild squirrel raises her young within city limits. The camera was mounted on a tree trunk and pointed directly at the drey. The "SQUIRREL DREY LIVE" overlay appeared at the top of the frame almost immediately — it became the calling card of the broadcast.
Viewers quickly grew fond of Rooz for her calm demeanor and regular appearances at the nest. Unlike many wild animals, gray squirrels do not abandon their established territory when people are nearby, as long as they don't feel threatened. The camera operates continuously, and anyone can tune into the broadcast at any time of day or night.
Oregon's Gray Squirrels — Interesting Facts
The gray squirrel shown on this webcam in Echo is a typical representative of the species Sciurus carolinensis. An adult weighs between 400 and 700 grams, with a body length including the tail reaching up to 50 centimeters. The coat is gray with a silvery tint on the back and lighter on the belly, though nearly black individuals are sometimes found.
In Oregon, gray squirrels compete with native red squirrels and Douglas squirrels for food resources and nesting sites. However, in urban areas like Echo, gray squirrels feel quite at home — they are omnivorous and easily adapt to human-altered environments. Rooz's diet includes acorns, walnuts, conifer seeds, tree buds, and occasionally berries.
Pregnancy in gray squirrels lasts about 44 days. The kits are born blind and hairless, weighing only 15–20 grams. Their eyes open at 28–35 days, and the young begin venturing out of the nest independently at 10–12 weeks of age. In the wild, gray squirrels live an average of 6 years, though in protected conditions they can reach 12–15 years.
The Structure of a Squirrel's Drey
The nest shown on the webcam is called a "drey" — from the English word drey. It is a spherical structure made of dry leaves, twigs, moss, and bark, typically located in a tree fork at a height of 6 to 15 meters. The drey's diameter is about 30–50 centimeters, and the interior is lined with soft material: moss, grass, and feathers.
Rooz, like her fellow squirrels, builds several backup nests on her territory — this is insurance against parasite infestation or destruction of the main drey. The primary nest, which is under observation, is used for raising kits and for shelter during cold weather. In summer, squirrels often sleep right on the branches, wrapping their tails around the trunk.
The camera clearly shows the intertwined branches that make up the drey and the foliage creating a natural canopy over the nest. The squirrel regularly refurbishes the structure — bringing fresh leaves and twigs, reinforcing the walls. This is especially noticeable during the period leading up to the birth of the kits.
Infrared Mode — 24/7 Observation
One of the key features of this webcam is its infrared mode. When darkness falls, the camera automatically switches to night vision, and the image turns black and white. The infrared illumination is invisible to the human eye and to animals, so Rooz the squirrel behaves naturally — nothing disrupts her usual rhythm of life.
Night vision allows viewers to observe the squirrel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is during the nighttime hours that you can see how the squirrel settles in for the night, how the kits move around in the nest, how the mother feeds them. During the day, the camera shows a color image — green foliage, tree bark, sunlight glinting on the branches.
The switch between day and night modes occurs automatically depending on the ambient light level. Viewers can observe this transition in real time — the picture changes over several minutes as dusk deepens and the camera switches to IR illumination.
Rooz the Squirrel's Behavior at the Nest
Watching the squirrel through the webcam in Echo is an opportunity to see behavior that is usually hidden from human eyes. Rooz appears at the nest several times a day: in the morning — after her night's rest, during the day — to check on and feed the kits, in the evening — before settling in for the night.
The squirrel exhibits noticeable territorial behavior — she recognizes her nest and the approaches to it, and can chase away other squirrels if they come too close. When the kits grow older, they begin to venture out of the drey and explore neighboring branches — this is one of the most touching moments caught by viewers of the online camera.
Interestingly, Rooz the squirrel shows different levels of activity depending on the weather. In rain and wind, she spends more time in the nest, curled up in a ball. On sunny days, she is more active moving along the branches, gathering food, and interacting with her kits.
Why You Should Watch the Echo Stream
This webcam is a rare example of how technology allows us to connect with wildlife without interfering with it. No enclosure, no feeders, no human control — just a squirrel, her nest, and a camera lens on a tree. The Echo broadcast is a window into a parallel world where life follows the laws of nature.
For city dwellers tired of the hustle and bustle, watching Rooz the squirrel becomes a form of meditation. Calm movements among the branches, the rustle of leaves, the unhurried gestures of the little creature — all of this is calming and distracting from everyday worries. And for children, it is a living biology lesson showing how a wild animal raises her young in natural conditions.
The online camera in Echo is available free of charge and without registration. Simply open the stream — and you find yourself in the tree canopy next to Rooz the squirrel and her kits.
What You Can See on the Camera
The camera is fixed on a tree trunk and aimed at the squirrel's nest — a drey woven from twigs and dry leaves in a fork of the canopy. The image shows intertwined branches, dense foliage, and the tree trunk. In the lower part of the frame, the squirrel herself occasionally appears — gray, with a fluffy tail, among the branches.
The camera operates in two modes. During the day — a color image with natural color reproduction: green foliage, brown bark, sunlight. As darkness falls, the camera switches to infrared mode — the picture turns black and white, characteristic of night vision. At the top of the frame is the text overlay "SQUIRREL DREY LIVE".
The webcam in Echo shows the life of Rooz the squirrel in real time — without editing, without a script, without pauses. This is a live broadcast from the wild of the United States, available to anyone who wants to observe a gray squirrel and her kits in their natural habitat.
