Live Animal Cams for a Five-Minute Break

Try this northern Ontario feeder in local daylight when you want a bit of commotion. In early November, a flock of yellow and black evening grosbeaks arrived for sunflower seeds in the sleet. Winter finches and blue jays are worth looking out for, but the feed can be quiet between visits. Cornell Lab keeps recorded highlights if you miss the action.

Switch between the two camera views to look for Bao Li or Qing Bao in their separate habitats. Bamboo eating is the easy thing to spot, but a little patience might reward you with a climb or a closer look at a puzzle feeder. The Smithsonian streams live daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. US Eastern time, then replays the previous 12 hours.

The underwater view is the reason to choose this one. An African penguin can go from barely moving on land to streaking past the glass, and the contrast is the fun of watching for a few minutes. It is live during San Diego daylight hours. After dark, the zoo rebroadcasts the day’s footage.

Choose this for a slower watch of a real nest on the windswept Otago Peninsula. The current pair is taking turns on an egg laid on 1 November, so early in the season the reward is a changeover or a small adjustment at the nest. The feed runs around the clock during breeding season. Try New Zealand daylight for a clear view, or look for recorded highlights.