A group of baby barn owls in Western North Carolina are becoming an online sensation. 

This spring, more than 62,000 people watched and listened as the first of five barn owl eggs hatched on The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s live webcam. The female owl laid six eggs, one never hatched. 

“We have folks who have watched from almost every state, as well as Canada, Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Portugal, New Zealand, Italy, Estonia, Ireland, Argentina, Sweden, Spain and more,” said Wildlife Conservation Engagement Coordinator, Austin Hill.

This is the first time the agency has offered a live wildlife camera for the public to view. The team placed cameras inside and outside the nesting box in 2011. This gives a dynamic view into the owl’s lives. 

The Wildlife Resources Commission said viewership peaked on April 15, when the owlets began to hatch. 

“After that, things naturally quieted down as they settled into being adorable, little feathered lumps,” said Sydney Brown, Development and Evaluation Supervisor with the agency’s education division. “But there is so much more to see. The owlets are learning to fly, testing their wings and getting into all kinds of antics.”

Since hatching, viewers have continued to witness their journey as the parents leave the nest and bring back meals that consist of small mammals, insects, birds and reptiles. Baby owls rely on their parents to help tear the meat, but older owlets are able to swallow their prey whole. 

The drought has reduced prey for the owls, as rodents are finding it harder to find vegetation to keep them sustained. However, thousands of people watch with anticipation to see what is brought back to the nest. 

The fledglings will begin leaving the barn in the next few weeks to begin hunting on their own. 

“Cameras will become more active as the owls fledge and leave the box to explore the barn and surroundings,” said Hill. “The outside box cams allow us to be able to capture some unique behaviors not previously seen: an owlet teetering on the edge of a rafter, boosting itself into wobbly flight, or even downing a Southern flying squirrel. They’ll stick around and continue to roost in the box or somewhere in the barn. It’s also possible they will leave the barn and roost elsewhere. We’ll continue to move the cameras around to provide the best viewing opportunities.”

N.C. Wildlife said they chose a barn owl for this project because it is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) Priority and a Knowledge Gap Research Priority by the agency’s 2025 Wildlife Action Plan. 

To view the full news release and learn more about the project, visit the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s website.