St. Xavier Screech-Owl Box 2

A Screech-Owl Nest Box in the Making

This infrared camera looks inside a wooden nest box installed on a tree trunk at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve, property of the Westmoreland Land Trust just across the highway from Saint Vincent College. The box was built for roosting and nesting Eastern Screech-Owls, a small owl species common across eastern North America.

An Unexpected Tenant

Soon after installation an Eastern Red Squirrel moved in, and the box has since hosted a rotating cast of woodland residents. The close infrared view reveals every twig and blade of dried grass lining the cavity, offering a rare look at how a nest box is built up and used over time.

A Research and Education Partnership

The feed is part of the Ornithology Program at Saint Vincent College, where biology students use the footage for senior research projects. The camera and streaming infrastructure were donated by PixCams, Inc., a company dedicated to connecting the public with wildlife through live video.

Conserving the St. Xavier Preserve

The surrounding land is stewarded by the Westmoreland Land Trust for its ecological and recreational value to Westmoreland County. Watching this quiet wooden cavity offers a window into the preserve's ongoing conservation work and the small creatures that depend on it.