Since late August, tens of thousands of Australians tune in to “Nestflix,” a 24-hour live stream capturing the high-stakes lives of peregrine falcons. First popular during the Covid pandemic, the livestream has become a cultural sensation. The falcons deliver airborne fights, breakups, births, and territorial battles atop a Melbourne skyscraper, keeping viewers on edge.
Fans now watch eagerly as this year’s chicks, hatched since late September, prepare for their first flight. They sprint along the ledge, flapping their wings 34 stories above the street, while their mother glides past with pigeons in her talons. “She’s teasing them: ‘You want to eat? You must fly,’” says Dr Victor Hurley, founder of the Victorian Peregrine Project.
The mother’s teasing, combined with deliberate food reduction, encourages flight and helps the chicks shed weight. Dr Hurley explains that this improves their wing-to-body ratio, making lift-off easier.
The birth of Nestflix
Dr Hurley discovered the peregrine nesting site at 367 Collins Street in 1991, the same year he founded the Victorian Peregrine Project. Initially, the falcons failed to raise chicks because they laid eggs in a metal gutter, which drained heat from the nest. “Rain gutters in Melbourne winters were never going to work,” he says.
He advised building managers to install a nest box, which they did, resulting in three chicks the next year. In 1993, a CCTV camera monitored the nest, and Dr Hurley displayed the feed on a large screen in the building foyer. By 2017, a webcam allowed the stream to reach global audiences on YouTube, complemented by a dedicated Facebook fan page with over 50,000 members.
“It’s a supportive corner of the internet where people enjoy watching birds,” says Kylie Humrick, a group moderator since 2017. During the Covid lockdowns, the group’s popularity soared, providing viewers with a connection to nature amid isolation. Humrick notes the joy of seeing thriving wildlife in urban environments. One highlight came in 2021 when a livestream captured a falcon startled by an earthquake.
Territorial battles and drama
Over the years, six or seven falcon pairs, possibly more, have occupied the Collins Street nest. The site offers reliable food and shelter, making it highly prized. Peregrine falcons fiercely guard their territory, maintaining at least 1.6 kilometers from other pairs. “Food is guaranteed, and they defend it vigorously,” Dr Hurley says.
Territorial disputes sometimes erupt when “floaters” – unpaired peregrines seeking nests – attack. In 2022, a younger male replaced a “wimpy” resident mid-incubation after a weeks-long fight. The older male likely perished, but the new male fed the chicks, earning fans’ praise as the “dad that stepped up.”
In 2023, the resident female suffered apparent brain damage after fighting another female. She lingered near the eggs but produced no chicks. In past years, fights have ended with fatalities, prompting building managers to contact Dr Hurley. He stresses that these conflicts are natural. “These birds kill other birds for survival; there’s no scandal, just nature,” he says.
Peregrine comeback in cities
Once nearly wiped out in Australia by agricultural pesticides, peregrine populations rebounded after DDT and other chemicals were banned in the 1980s. Known as the fastest animals on Earth, reaching 389 km/h, they now thrive in urban environments that mimic cliff habitats.
The young falcons at Collins Street face their first flight, expected any day. Male chicks typically fly first, with females following after gaining strength. Dr Hurley hopes they take their time to avoid accidents like crashes into windows. One chick from last year needed rehabilitation after getting trapped behind a glass balcony.
Once independent, young peregrines may face eviction by parents and encounter high mortality rates. Dr Hurley compares the 60% first-year mortality to predator survival in the wild. “If every lion survived, prey populations would collapse,” he says. Many Collins Street chicks travel tens of kilometers to avoid inbreeding, with only one-third surviving to breed by age three.
Excitement builds among viewers
Facebook fans eagerly anticipate fledging. One user plans a trip to Melbourne with binoculars to spot the chicks. Another reacts emotionally as a chick perches on the ledge. “Viewership spikes as fledging approaches,” says Humrick. “Fans love seeing the birds reach milestones and leave the nest, even though we cannot track them afterward.”
“Nestflix” continues to offer a rare window into wildlife thriving amid city life, blending drama, survival, and nature in every flight and fight.
