Little Owl Nest in Tiszalök: Live Stream
Little Owl Nest in Tiszalök: A Unique Online Webcam
In eastern Hungary, on the attic of a residential building in the town of Tiszalök, one of the most heartwarming live streams in Europe is running. The webcam is installed directly in the nest of a little owl — a small bird of prey known locally as the little owl. Viewers from around the world can watch fluffy chicks with dark eyes and light plumage spending their days in a natural nest while their parents hunt in the surrounding agricultural lands. This is a rare opportunity to see the life of wild birds without human interference — the camera operates around the clock, transmitting images in real time.
Where is Tiszalök: Geography and Nature of Eastern Hungary
Tiszalök is a town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary. This settlement is located near the town of Tiszaújváros, surrounded by vast agricultural fields, meadows, and small forested areas. It is this open space with groves and pastures that creates ideal hunting conditions for little owls. The birds choose attics and walls of buildings in urban areas, where they find suitable cavities for nesting. Proximity to open hunting grounds and the availability of shelter in buildings are the main reasons why owls nest here in Tiszalök.
Little Owl (Athene noctua): Biology and Behavior
The little owl is one of the smallest members of the owl family in Europe. The body length of an adult bird is only 21–27 centimeters, and its weight is about 180–220 grams. Despite its modest size, this is a real predator with a characteristic flat face, large yellow eyes, and raised "ear tufts" — feather bundles on its head. The grayish-brown plumage with white speckles perfectly camouflages the bird among tree trunks and stones. Unlike many other owls, the little owl is often active at dusk and even during the day, making watching it on the webcam especially fascinating.
How Owls Set Up Nests: From Eggs to Chicks
The little owl is a cavity nester — it does not build a nest itself. The female lays eggs directly on the substrate in a cavity — whether it is a tree hollow, an abandoned burrow, or an attic space. In Tiszalök, a special nest box has been installed for the birds, mimicking a natural cavity. The female lays 2–6 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 28–33 days. During this time, the male brings her food. After hatching, the chicks are covered in white down with dark eyes — exactly as viewers see them on the stream. Gradually, the down is replaced by feathers, and the young owls begin to explore the nest, preparing for their first flight.
Little Owl Diet: What It Eats in the Wild
The little owl feeds on insects, earthworms, other invertebrates, and small vertebrates. In Hungary, the diet of these birds has its own characteristics. The diet consists mainly of insects and earthworms, with the composition varying depending on the habitat. In the fields around Tiszalök, owls hunt beetles, grasshoppers, mice, and voles. Interestingly, the little owl often feeds near human habitation — street lighting attracts insects, and therefore the owls themselves. On the stream, you can see parents bringing prey to the chicks — this usually happens in the morning or evening hours.
Night Life of Owls: When to Watch the Stream
The little owl is most active at dusk and at night, although unlike other owl species, it often hunts during the day as well. For webcam viewers, this means the most interesting action happens in the evening and early morning. But what can be seen on the stream in the dark? The nest webcams use IR illumination with EXIR LED IR technology for night vision, providing visibility up to 30 meters in complete darkness. The IR illumination has a round beam shape and remains wide enough even at short distances, allowing the entire nest to be illuminated. Thanks to this, viewers can observe owl behavior even at night — how the female turns the eggs, how the chicks move in their sleep, or how the male brings prey in the dark.
History of Owl Observations in Tiszalök
Observation of little owls in Tiszalök has been conducted since 2019. It all started with the installation of a nest box on the attic of a residential building. The nest box is maintained by Sándor Zsiros, and camera management is carried out by the organization Madárles.hu. Over several seasons, the owls have grown accustomed to their new home, and now every spring the female lays eggs here. The organization Madárles.hu specializes in bird observations and runs several similar projects in Hungary, but the Tiszalök stream has become particularly popular due to consistent nesting and the ability to see the chicks up close.
What You Can See on the Camera
On the stream from the little owl nest in Tiszalök, viewers see the interior of the nest box directly. In the center of the frame are fluffy chicks with dark eyes and light plumage, lying in a group or becoming more active as they grow. The walls of the nest box and the substrate where the eggs were laid are visible. Periodically, adult birds appear in the frame — the female incubating the clutch or the male bringing prey. At night, the image switches to black-and-white mode thanks to IR illumination, so the life of the nest can be observed around the clock. The webcam in Tiszalök is a rare chance to see how wild owls raise their young in their natural habitat without leaving home.
