MassWildLife: View Peregrine Falcon Cameras

11:52AM / Sunday, May 18, 2025Print Story | Email Story

Peregrine falcons are the fastest birds on Earth. They live throughout the world, including right here in Massachusetts! Several web cameras allow the public to witness falcons during breeding season.

Peregrine falcons are unique and beautiful raptors that are specially adapted to hunt birds in flight. They hunt while soaring high in the sky and waiting for a bird to fly past below. To capture their prey, they fly straight down in a controlled dive called a stoop, where they can reach speeds over 240 miles per hour.

Peregrine populations declined during the late 1940s, due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT which caused the birds to lay thin-shelled eggs that could not survive. By the late 1950s, peregrines had disappeared from Massachusetts entirely. After a ban on DDT, peregrine restoration efforts began. After several failed attempts, captive-bred falcons were released in Boston, and the first modern peregrine nest occurred in 1987. Since then, over 800 wild peregrine falcon chicks have fledged in Massachusetts!

Historically, peregrines nested on rocky cliffs in and now they nest most frequently on tall man-made structures like buildings and bridges. Nest boxes with cameras have been installed at several of these locations. Check out the links below to get an up-close live look at nesting pairs and their chicks. Chicks hatch in early May and leave the nest in mid-June (at about 7 weeks of age).

Learn more about peregrine falcons and view nest cameras below.

Falcon cameras

Clock Tower of the Custom House, Boston
Peregrines have been nesting at this site for over 20 years. Since this nest box is sheltered, it has one of the most successful records of chick production in the eastern U.S.

Fox Hall Dorm at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Peregrines have nested on top of Fox Hall since 2007. The female falcon, Merri, was able to find a new mate after her previous one, Mack, died unexpectedly in June of 2014.

Du Bois Library at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Peregrines have nested successfully on the roof of the Du Bois Library since 2003.

Monarch Place, Springfield
Peregrine falcons have nested at this site for many years.

New Balance old mill clock tower, Lawrence
The Ayer Mill clock tower, one of the largest chiming 4-sided clock tower in the world, has been a nest site for peregrine falcons since 2002.

Gillis Bridge, Newburyport
MassWildlife and MassDOT installed a falcon nest box and a camera. The camera takes a picture every 15 minutes.

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Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action.

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature."

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures.

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis.

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.

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