News Releases

Xcel Energy announces start of annual Bird Cam season

Upgraded Web site now features live, streaming video of nest boxes

DENVER - Owls, eagles and kestrels are again taking up residence in nests and nest boxes at power plants throughout Xcel Energy’s Colorado service territory, signaling the start of the company’s annual Bird Cam season. The season typically runs from spring to early summer. The Xcel Energy Bird Cam can be found at <http://birdcam.xcelenergy.com/> or by clicking on “Bird Cam” under the Quick Tools menu at www.xcelenergy.com <http://www.xcelenergy.com/>.

This year, owls, eagles and falcons can be viewed through live, streaming video on the company’s Web site, an upgrade from the still photos offered in the past. This is the first major Web site improvement since the Bird Cam program started in 1997 and offers customers a more detailed look into the daily activities of the birds.

The open space, vegetation and water surrounding Xcel Energy generating stations make them excellent homes for a variety of wildlife. The company has installed several web-based Bird Cams at its facilities to help raise awareness of the animals and share them with the public. Bird Cam offers great educational opportunities for students, families, birding enthusiasts and more. Recent developments include:

Eagle Cam, Fort St. Vrain Generating Station, Platteville, Colo.: The bald eagles are nesting at Fort St. Vrain Station. The female bird laid her first egg on Feb. 27, 2008, the second on March 1, 2008 and a third on March 4, 2008. It is unusual for bald eagles to have a clutch with three eggs, but it has happened before at this nest site. Experts anticipate the eggs will hatch during the first week of April.

Owl Cam, Valmont Generating Station, Boulder, Colo.: Baby owls are in the nest box at Valmont Station. The first egg hatched on March 13, 2008 and the second on March 15, 2008. Viewers will now have about eight weeks to watch the young birds grow and develop before they fledge in early May.

Kestrel Cam, Pawnee Generating Station, Brush, Colo.: This camera went live on March 3, 2008, and both male and female kestrels sporadically visit the nest box. Experts anticipate birds will nest there later this month.

The Bird Cam site also features peregrine falcons and osprey who nest at several of the company’s Minnesota generating stations.

Xcel Energy is a recognized leader for its efforts to provide a safe habitat for birds and other wildlife. Last year, the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program awarded Xcel Energy the inaugural Freedom Flight Award for its pioneering work to prevent avian electrocutions on power lines throughout the U.S.

In 2006, Audubon Colorado designated the reservoirs at Xcel Energy’s Valmont Generating Station in Boulder, Colo., as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The site’s qualification as an IBA was based on the use of the site by large concentrations of numerous species of waterfowl, primarily as a wintering habitat and rest stop during the spring and fall migrations. The reservoirs and adjacent uplands provide critical habitat for the survival of select species and populations of Colorado’s wild birds. The site is the first IBA in Boulder County and one of 54 IBAs in Colorado.

Xcel Energy is dedicated to improving the environment and providing the leadership to make a difference in the communities it serves. The company is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the second consecutive year. Xcel Energy is the nation’s No. 1 wind power provider. The company operates Windsource, the nation’s largest voluntary wind energy program in terms of customers. Xcel Energy is a leader in emissions reduction programs and in developing new technologies and tools to help bring clean, renewable energy onto its system at an affordable cost for its customers.