A high-definition camera that is aimed at an Arctic snowy owl burrow near Alaska will allow any bird enthusiast and researcher to watch the emergence of up to six chicks.
The camera, which went live earlier this week, can be accessed by anybody with an Internet connection. It is located near Barrow, Alaska, along the Arctic Ocean coast.
The project marks the 23rd year of Denver Holt's research on the Arctic snowy owl. Holt is a researcher at the Owl Research Institute located in Charlo, Montana.
Holt is studying the Arctic snowy owl, along with the brown lemmings that are the owl's main prey, within an area of 260 square kilometers in the northern Alaskan tundra.
"You're not able to watch the birds 24/7, even with 24 hours of daylight," said Holt in an interview. "By having the camera, it just opens up another avenue and more periods of time we're able to look and record."
Holt has been able to study the birds more intently with glimpses into their daily lives, such as how often male owls bring food to female owls that are nesting. Holt has also been able to study how vigilant mother owls are, rarely sleeping and only taking short breaks as they always keep an eye on their eggs to protect them from predators.
The camera also has an installed microphone, which allows viewers to listen in on what's happening with the Arctic snowy owls.
Also a partner of Holt in the Arctic snowy owl project is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The camera that is trained on the Arctic snowy owl nest is the latest of a series of cameras from the Pearls of the Planet of explore.org, which is the Annenberg Foundation's media division. Explore.org provides live video feeds on wildlife from all over the world through installed cameras.
Another camera that went live for explore.org earlier this week features the brown bears that reside in the Katmai National Park and Preserve. The camera shows how the bears move along the river as they catch salmon for their meals at Brooks Falls.
"These live cams are about more than providing an incredible view of bears or owls during an amazing part of their season," said Annenberg Foundation vice president and explore.org founder Charles Annenberg Weingarten in a statement.
Weingarten also said that the live cams are building the zoos of the future, where people can feel connected with wildlife while the animals are allowed to live and roam free in their natural habitat.
