Wood County Commissioners and BGSU launch new Falcon Cam

Bowling Green, O. – A new partnership between the Wood County Commissioners and Bowling Green State University is providing a birds-eye view of the peregrine falcons that call the clock tower of the Wood County Courthouse home.

Commissioners James Carter, Doris Herringshaw and Joel Kuhlman announced with the University that a new webcam is in place and the nesting birds can be viewed live at www.bgsu.edu/falconcam.

According to Wood County Administrator Andrew Kalmar, this is the fifth year that the falcons have returned to the clock tower to nest.

“Because the falcons are cliff dwellers they don’t actually build a nest. They simply lay their eggs in the stones,” Kalmar said. “If all goes well, we should see eggs in the next couple weeks, and chicks in late April or early May.”

The new camera replaces an older model that could no longer stream video to the Web. BGSU provided the new camera and is hosting the website.

The Peregrine Falcon is BGSU’s official mascot, and the courthouse is just two blocks from the BGSU campus.

“You couldn’t find a more natural partnership,” said University Spokesman Dave Kielmeyer. “We’re excited to be a part of it.”

Kielmeyer added that he expects BGSU students, faculty, staff and alumni from around the world to “tune in” to watch the University’s real-life mascots.