Common Kestrel Nest in Brno — Watch the Live Webcam Online

Observing birds of prey in a big city is a fascinating activity available to everyone. The live webcam in Brno broadcasts the life of common kestrels that have settled on the facade of one of the city's buildings. The Czech Republic has become home to many raptors, and this stream allows you to see their habits without having to leave your home.

Common Kestrel: A Predator in the City

This small falcon demonstrates remarkable adaptability to urban environments. Kestrels do not build their own nests — they use old nests of crows, magpies, hawks, as well as rock crevices, tree hollows, and buildings. In urban environments, the bird readily settles on buildings — in niches and on the roofs of apartment blocks. Brno, as a major Czech metropolis, offers ideal nesting conditions: an abundance of mice and sparrows, as well as suitable ledges and shelters on high-rise buildings.

Nest Box Design

To attract and monitor birds, ornithologists install special structures. The kestrel nest box has a bottom size of 25×25 cm, a front wall of 25×10 cm, and a back wall of 25×25 cm; it is installed at a height of 4–9 m above the ground. Wood shavings are poured inside, which serve as a soft bedding for the eggs, preventing damage and retaining warmth. Such boxes mimic the natural shelters that birds seek in the wild.

Life Cycle: From Laying to First Flight

The breeding season is the most interesting stage for observing predators. Female kestrels lay 3–7 eggs, incubating alternately with the male; chicks appear after a month, covered in white down. During the first weeks, parents actively hunt to feed their offspring. Grown chicks take to the city streets and learn to fly right there, at first only jumping and unafraid of people, gradually gaining experience under their parents' supervision. Clutch size is influenced by egg-laying timing, weather conditions, and food availability, which vary significantly across different reproductive periods.

Hunting and Weather Conditions

These predators know how to adapt to climate and weather conditions. Kestrels adapt their flight and hunting strategies to the weather: they hover more often as temperatures rise, since warm weather increases the activity of large grasshoppers — their preferred prey. At the same time, kestrels are less dependent on rising air currents than other raptors and can fly even in bad weather. This trait makes them successful hunters in Brno's urban environment, where the weather can be unpredictable.

What You Can See on the Camera

The online camera is mounted at an angle from above, likely from a building facade or balcony. In the frame is a wooden box filled with wood shavings, where one of the birds sits. On the left, a wooden structure with another kestrel is visible. Nearby are two nesting containers: a woven basket with an overturned ceramic pot and a wooden box. Small flower pots are noticeable at the top of the frame. The real-time camera allows you to watch feeding, egg incubation, and the growing chicks, showing the life of predators in Brno without embellishment.