Virtual Wanderlist: An Intro to Wildlife Live Streams

We know how it feels. Spring Break came and went with little to show for it but antsy kids and queuing up to go grocery shopping. Even with extended breaks and moving to online classes for Texas school children and college students, it’s not as if there’s anywhere they can go or anything they can see. Well, at least not in person. 

Luckily, we have the next best thing, a Virtual Wanderlist – wildlife viewings, virtual tours of parks, museums and zoos and distance learning. Join us as we guide you to the best the internet has to offer at virtual travel, while sneaking in some education for all the kids and adults stuck at home.

We wouldn't be Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine without mentioning wildlife. There are a dazzling array of live streams available that will keep you up-to-date in real time with animals in Texas and throughout the country. 

Tower Girl incubates her eggs on March 26, 2020.

The first to catch our eye was The University of Texas at Austin Biodiversity Center’s Falcon Cam. Tower Girl is a Peregrine Falcon who calls the UT Tower home. She’s currently incubating a clutch of eggs in her nesting box 300+ feet in the air.  Visit this cam to see the grace and beauty of a native Texas raptor. And, just maybe, you can catch her eggs hatching. 

Other avian live streams:

• Bolivar Flats Saltwater Lagoon
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Roseate Spoonbills, 
• Great Horned Owls
• Great Blue Herons

If you prefer something a bit more terrestrial, Texas Wildlife Cams runs a live stream from a ranch outside of San Angelo. A handy guide tells you the most likely time to tune in to view native wildlife as well as identification of the plants seen on camera. 

Other terrestrial live streams:

• South Texas Wildlife
• Food Pantry for Deer
• Live Animal Cam Ohio
• Alligators

But maybe the animals of the deep are more your thing?  The giant kelp forests of the Pacific Ocean are home to a variety of fish and marine mammals. This live stream camera sits off Anacapa Island in the Channel Islands.

Other oceanic live streams:

• West Indian Manatees
• Sea Otters
• Sea Lions at Orcalab
• Sharks at Frying Pan Shoals

We can't guarantee that the animals will always cooperate, but we hope that with these resources you and your family can explore the world outside while remaining healthy and safe inside.

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