Kestrel Dad Learns to Care for Chicks After Mum Disappears | Mr & Mrs Kes | Robert E Fuller

This is the story of Mr Kes, a male kestrel who must learn to care for his six chicks after his mate suddenly disappears.
Watch Mr & Mrs Kes interact live on my nest cam: • Live From Fotherdale |... and follow their story in this playlist: • Kestrels 🦅 Mr & Mrs Ke...
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ABOUT THIS FILM
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Male kestrel must learn to parent
Female kestrels are the primary caregivers for the chicks, keeping them warm and tearing up food for them. With her gone, this male kestrel doesn’t know how to fill the role.
Taking care of the weakest
After 10 hours without their mother, I take the six kestrel chicks out of the nest for a health check. Three were small, cold, and weak, and needed to be cared for. I placed the three older, stronger chicks back in the nest, to keep them wild.
Mr Kes tries to brood
Mr Kes has the right instinct and when he arrives, bringing in food for the chicks, he tries to brood them. But he isn't very good at it and soon gives up.
He doesn't know how to feed
The kestrel returns to the nest with a vole but makes no effort to tear it up. They’re starving but are too small to feed themselves.
Mr Kes slowly learns to break up food
It is some time before he realises and begins to tear a vole into smaller morsels. But he is impatient and soon gives up. That the afternoon, I head down to the nest to feed the chicks myself. They haven’t had a meal since I took them out this morning, so they’re hungry. I’m careful not to give them too much, I still want them to call for food.
Mrs Kes briefly returns
At dusk, Mrs Kes suddenly returns. The chicks perk up as they hear her outside. She’s been gone for over 20 hours but doesn’t enter the nest… and when a tawny calls, she bolts off.
I take the chicks in
It’s such unusual behaviour for her, in previous years she’s taken on any threats to protect her own.
Without their mother to protect and brood them overnight, they’re vulnerable to predators and could die if they get cold. So, as darkness falls, I collect them from the nest. They’ll be safer with me overnight.
Placing the chicks back in the nest
The next morning, I pop the three chicks back into the nest, thankfully before Mr Kes returns with a vole. The chicks don’t immediately grab it, and he looks a bit unsure, so he settles for the safe option, brooding again! He seems confident with this task now.
At last Mr Kes learns how to feed
Later, Mr Kes comes in with a special catch, a common lizard. Thinner and easier to swallow, and one chick guzzles it down whole. It seems like a lightbulb moment for Mr Kes, who at last begins to realise that the prey needs to be smaller. He returns with a vole and starts tearing the meal up for the chicks. Against all the odds, this male kestrel has learned how to feed his chicks.
Next time
Mr Kes settles into his new role, and the chicks grow fast. Soon, with a bit of help from me, it’s time to get the younger chicks back into the nest!
ABOUT ME
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I am a British wildlife artist and filmmaker on a mission to share my love for wildlife with the world. As well as creating detailed animal film and art portraits, I promote wildlife tours around the world and do all I can to help conserve and protect wildlife here at my home in Yorkshire. I hope that by putting nature in the frame I can foster a deep love for wildlife amongst my followers.
You may like to purchase my artwork which you can find on my website: www.robertefuller.com. Many of my paintings are portraits of the wonderful characters you watch here!
You can also follow me on these platforms:
Website: www.robertefuller.com
Facebook: / robertefullerart
Twitter: / robertefuller
Instagram: / robertefuller
CHAPTERS
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00:00 Single Dad With An Impossible Task
00:14 Male Kestrels Don't Feed Chicks
00:32 Recap
01:20 Mr Kes Tries To Brood
02:01 No Idea How To Feed
02:44 Three Chicks In My Care
03:07 Mr Kes Tears Up Food
03:43 A Helping Hand
04:27 Mr Kes Calls For His Mate
05:06 Female Kestrel Briefly Returns
05:35 Bringing The Chicks In
06:03 Back To The Nest
06:33 Mr Kes Tries Again
07:03 Chick Swallows Lizards
07:27 Male Kestrel Successfully Feeds Chicks
08:07 Next Time...
08:26 End Credits
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© Robert E Fuller
Copyright Disclaimer: Please feel free to share my videos but do not download any content without permission with the intent to re-upload. If you would like to license any content, please get in touch: [e-mail]
#robertefuller #kestrel #falcon

[@RobertEFuller]

I hope you've enjoyed the video! Watch more Mr & Mrs Kes films: bit.ly/43x2rxL See them 24/7 on my livestream: bit.ly/44ScRZT Support my work with wildlife: www.robertefuller.com/support_and_donate/ Shop my kestrel artwork: www.robertefuller.com/product-tag/birds-of-prey/ Follow me: Facebook - bit.ly/43LiisV | Twitter - bit.ly/43yuiO9 | Instagram- bit.ly/3XV7rLA | TikTok - bit.ly/3XUnEAJ

[@darronpattel]

After all the videos I've seen of people pretending to help animals when it turned out they were just abusing them, like the people gluing barnicles onto turtles' shells, and the staged videos of rescuing animals and such, I find it quite convenient that the mother disappeared at the nest you happened to be filming....

[@ahmedhussain999]

Any update on My favourite single dad? Cheers for helping my dude out. Respect 👊

[@alexf9381]

@@darronpattel Kestrel mothers sometimes abandon their offspring. It's something that happens. It has nothing to do with human intervention. This is not an animal rescue channel and the vast majority of those fake channels where they abuse animals are in Vietnam and Indonesia where animal abuse laws are centuries behind us. You literally see the mother return and leave again. She's fine. She just abandoned them. Its sad but it's reality.

[@dwayneoneil689]

How does that nest smells

[@marinaps5302]

​@@darronpattel before you accuse someone of abuse you should investigate the channel first, those cameras are there even when the nests are empty, you accuse a man of something and you don't even know the whole story

[@Cinemamuffin]

I love how Mr.Kes gets his kids MULTIPLE voles before realizing they need help eating it. It's like a human dropping a whole loaf of bread in front of a baby and going "...No? Not this one? Ok let me try some pumpernickle." and soon the baby is just surrounded by six different loafs of bread that it 100% cannot eat on it's own. XD

[@AxionSmurf]

Yeah and he just leaves the bodies hanging around in there for what seems like days lol

[@Cinemamuffin]

@@AxionSmurf Yeah! Like "Huh I guess you guys just aren't hungry right now! Lemme get these out of here."

[@JakeobE]

@@AxionSmurf It's even more wild how they're nesting on a massive pile of voles too.

[@DisIzDaName]

In the father bird's defense, that's probably what he did before the missus ran off with the milk man. Stay-at-nest mom likely was the one to sit with the chicks all day and wait for pops to bring home the meat.

[@Cinemamuffin]

@@DisIzDaName Oh, probably! It's just a funny sight is all, haha.

[@killbot86]

Mr. Kes after getting used to feeding a small brood and then returning back to six chicks again: WTF?! 😅

[@skysetblue9578]

😂

[@witchynerdhermit]

THEY'RE MULTIPLYING

[@MCNarret]

@@witchynerdhermit GREMLINS!

[@skysetblue9578]

The ending with the chirping they are saying who are you? So cute. Mr. Kes might be going..😳😳🤔

[@whyisblue923taken]

And they're much bigger too.

[@badcornflakes6374]

I remember the first time my dad cooked for me and my siblings when my mom wasn't there to cook. It wasn't the best, but it was good enough to feed his hungry children. This video helped me to realize to appreciate those small moments, to appreciate my own dad.

[@RobertEFuller]

What a wonderful comment

[@jamjar5716]

That is so sweet! I hope you got a chance to share your memory with your dad.

[@ellenriemann576]

That's really beautiful

[@Menaceblue3]

Happy early/late father's day!

[@SamuraiKai]

Awwww hon 🥹

[@okapi7559]

I actually started to cry when I saw him calling out for her, in hopes she would come back and help him with their babies. Then I cried again when he found his purpose and determination to raise them, despite being clumsy about it. I hope he doesn't give up. I'm glad you're helping him, otherwise it would be a sad ending to this family

[@shai310]

Yeah it's very nice that he doesn't just watch but actually help the family.

[@stevenmtaylor21]

@@shai310 Also like that when he does help, he doesn't help too much.

[@nekozimo]

Yea

[@RekySai]

the only reason the mother left the nest is because the guy put an object, that reaks of human, into the nest. this is why we dont touch chicks because birds will leave if they doo not smell like theirs

[@malloryg4251]

@@RekySai You are very wrong about that. I watch live bird cams often, and it's common for scientists to moniter the babies and even remove them from the nest temporarily to provide medical treatment. I have never seen the parents reject their babies because they were handled by humans. Please don't spread false information.

[@Olliekay]

The female being alive is an interesting plot twist, but raises more questions about what happened that set off this behavior, maybe a really bad fight with an owl?

[@nerner266]

Maybe she got brain trauma and amnesia from a hit?

[@dreacranford]

@@nerner266 I don't think it was amnesia. She did come back to the nest, so she knew where home was. Then she left immediately. Maybe she had some other kind of brain injury or PTSD. I do wish we could find out what happened to her. I still think about it even though it happened months ago.

[@TalynCo]

@@dreacranford so I take it we're not going to see her rejoin Mr Kes any time soon?

[@angelserenade]

I don't think its amnesia, or I've never heard a study that a bird could have it. Some observed that some birds leave the nest and their offspring when they feel like the area is way too dangerous for their chicks to survive. My theory for Mrs. Kes' case, its probably the continuous "harassment" she got from the other birds while incubating her eggs that drove her to consider abandoning the nest. She must have suffered some trauma or injuries too, and she must have already succumbed to her injuries.

[@NLance]

@@angelserenade That is my theory as well. Birds are known to abandon their young and nest when they believe the area is not safe. She may have gotten into a very bad fight this time or there were simply more threats and more owl calls around her than in the last years, which made her restless in the nest. Perhaps she judged that it was not worth it anymore.

[@IM_Arcades]

Hehe, the chicks went from the usual horrified looks of Robert “abducting” them to “Oh, you again.”

[@iamaloafofbread8926]

Oh, you again, feed me ahhhhh XO

[@kaboomsihal1164]

I kinda love the "I have sat on you and dropped food on your heads, that's what mom did! I've seen it!" Attitude he has lmao. So cute.

[@wavion2]

The best dads aren't perfect, they just never stop trying.

[@vivek27789]

True.. Very True

[@StarWarsomania]

This is amazing! In every case of American Kestrels that I’ve ever read, if mom dies or vanishes, the babies just slowly starve, surrounded by heaps of rotting food, while dad is just visibly confused. His tiny bird brain tells him “if baby birds hungry, it means bring more food”, since that’s his only job. I’m so happy to see Mr Kes figure out how to fill in for mom!

[@atimidbirb]

He is absolutely adorable with how hard he tries, and also his little head bops when he sits at the entrance. I want to give him a kiss on the head

[@cha_hoe]

Weird mf

[@truesoulghost2777]

The guy making the video may actually be the reason the mother left. Just saying.

[@tetraxis3011]

@@truesoulghost2777 If the smell made the mother leave, the dad would have left aswell

[@zKrazeM8]

These birds are muslim so treat them thereafter! Enough nonesense!!

[@srcp1551]

???

[@fabriziodelgado7442]

Everyone talks about mothers love towards their children but no one talks about a fathers love toward their children, this is so beautiful ❤️

[@RobertEFuller]

Yes 🙌 He wasn’t going to give up on this chicks amazing to see him learn new tricks

[@sephtis]

Most males in nature seem to go out to get milk more often than not, so it's heart warming to see this.

[@serenesrn3827]

Bird fathers are the best unlike most other mammals including human fathers .

[@arkzbh]

As a single dad, it melted my heart. I remembered the old days when I used to struggle to take care of my daughter. I think Mr Daddy bird did an excellent job.

[@RobertEFuller]

Oh 👍 it must be tough wether you are a bird or a human

[@javiermendez9365]

oh man, I'm going through it with my 2 year old daughter. Is definitely life changing, I solute you for it. Learning how to do her hair has been a challenge for me XD

[@poopbutt6241]

@@javiermendez9365I got a son, granted it may be easier than daughters but boy are sons really rambunctious

[@angelserenade]

Mr. Kes finally learning to feed his chicks was one of the most amazing developments I've seen in the livestream. I remember tearing up while watching him feed his chicks. it goes to show how animals adapt to survive. The last time Mrs. Kes returns, it feels like she's saying farewell to her chicks. Her bouts with the Tawnies must have put trauma and stress on her, thus leaving the nest.

[@AM-vn4cc]

She probably passed away, the fight left her severely injured and many animals isolate themselves when they feel themselves dying.

[@stankythecat6735]

I teared up also! The look on Mr. Kes’ face as he is trying to figure it out was almost human. The guy helping them is like the hand of god coming to help out when all hope is lost

[@DigitalApex]

@@AM-vn4cc I remember asking why animals did that when I was a kid. Just recently remember wondering about it and feel stupid for not thinking about the reason. Turns out that dying animals do that as to not bring disease or predators to their pack or offspring. Hits a different chord when you realize pets like dogs or cats will often try this too, as they see humans as members of their "pack."

[@thecowcanon]

Such a sad comment :) Now I have to cut onions all of a sudden

[@malloryg4251]

@@AM-vn4cc This comment made me so sad. Poor Mrs. Kes.

[@kigut7443]

i was raised by just my dad for most of my life since my mom was violent and abusive. after we kicked her out of our life, it was just me and him. he was never good at cleaning or cooking, but he always tried his damn best, and has always been there for me to keep me safe. i can tell that the love he feels for me is really strong... despite everything he hasnt ever given up on me, and i wont give up on him either seeing mr. kes struggle but try his best to care for his babies, determined to see them survive, struck a chord with me. mr. kes reminds me of my dad like that

[@roypranjal]

💘

[@misguidedterror8397]

Keep strong

[@shai310]

I'm happy for you and your dad, I had a similar case with my mom after me and my brothers left her to live with our father so seeing Mr.Kes trying his best despite not being the best at it makes me appreciate my father more.

[@SimSimi.]

Animals only do this out of pure extinct, not out of love.

[@sillycookie]

@@SimSimi. 🤓

[@foreverchristina1966]

I think they should make Father’s Day cards featuring Mr.Kes. What gem of a papa bird ❤️

[@malloryg4251]

How cute!!

[@Maria-sc5wz]

Aw, this thought is so sweet! 🥲 I would love to see that!

[@fumarc4501]

A fantastic idea.

[@travisvanalst4698]

My mom died of cancer when I was young. And for years I never really understood how hard my father worked just to keep us fed from going down to one paycheck and thousands of dollars in medical bills. When I turned 18 and I left to do things on my own, I found out that taking care of just myself isn’t that easy and what he did (selling things, not having a meal, paying things late…) was probably the hardest thing in the world since he did it for me and my sister. This video definitely brings back memories of times when me and my sister didn’t really understand why he didn’t always have a plate at the dinner table but he always made sure we were fed.

[@purebottle]

8:24 it's never not funny to me how the chicks went :O when they see their siblings come back ahaha i loved rewatching this, it's so inspirational to watch!

[@SnarkyRogue]

the "expressions" get me every time as well. I love whenever the narration syncs up with a head bob in the video, as if the birds are like "mhmm, yep"

[@u.npeacekeeperball432]

"Yo wassup, so uh. Long time no see?"

[@xi.xxxv_]

HAHAHAHA

[@sinista5745]

I think it’s more because of the giant foreign pink grabby thing that enters their nest. I would be scared too.

[@malloryg4251]

I know! And then they immediately relax when they recognize their siblings again. So freaking adorable.

[@entropy2134]

I'm surprised he didn't just abandon the chicks. He's actually a better dad than many humans

[@RobertEFuller]

Mr Kes is a legend

[@rainglow_5787]

This made me cry to see him learn, shout out to all the single dads out there doing their absolute best

[@RobertEFuller]

Yes 🙌 👍 it amazing to see how many people identify to the struggles the male kestrel goes through

[@amartin4423]

Robert thank you for interfering when seeing suffering. I am not a fan of the pure naturalists out there who say humans should not interfere when they see suffering. I appreciate that you step in and fix things when you feel they are not right. Kudos to you. I love all your videos.

[@kigut7443]

im not a fan either, especially since a lot of animal suffering is indirectly caused by humans all the same. odd behaviours, unseasonal weather, habitat scarcity is all our fault. i feel its actually our responsibility to act as stewards for nature, to make up for what the rest of us have so carelessly done to mother earth

[@BearAnkles]

@@kigut7443 exactly. Stewards is exactly the right word

[@Krystalmyth]

@@kigut7443 These naturalists ironically believe they are somehow above nature. That we aren't a part of it, aren't intrinsically responsible for all that has happened to it. We cannot absolve ourselves of our place in the world.

[@dustind4694]

Seconded. We're not outside of nature, we're in it and of it.

[@liiporta7964]

I agree...yes thank you😊

[@kunibertrandolf1886]

I think the mother is pretty much cought on the edge between fight or flight, explaining her behaviour. Most birds kind of have a "threshhold" of what needs to happen before they abondon their nest. For ducks, it's something as simple as staying close for too long, resulting in them just darting off and not returning. Happens often when trying to save a round of ducklings born in city centers without water around. (That's why people guide them around, rather than grabbing the chicks and rehousing them) For Miss Kestrel, it seems like the owl attacks where just enough to leave the nest, maybe followed by a bit of a chase off from the owls, resulting in her brooding instincts being "overwritten" by the normal flight response of too much danger to herself if she continues the nesting. But after a Morning of cooling down, she comes back on the whim of some leftover brooding instincts. But they aren't in any means strong enough to get past her flight response once she hears another owl. It's quite likely that the pair will be reunited next year, once they test out the nesting site once more.

[@TheDimensionDweller]

Mr Kes has been seen courting a different female on the livestream, so sadly I don't think they will be reunited.

[@jayclearmen411]

@@TheDimensionDweller as he should he’s basically a single dad at this point.. mom is around.

[@Vishnu_Karthik]

@@TheDimensionDweller She doesn't deserve him.

[@poof9327]

@@Vishnu_Karthik lmao

[@drako-ss]

@@Vishnu_Karthik I think the mom was too traumatised by the owl. Its like having a murderer as a neighbour but birds have fight or flight response. Mom got too overwhelmed and took the flight response

[@surtu9221]

All his instincts are telling him he's supposed to go for volume of rodents hunted and not sit around worrying about what goes on in the tree, so it's amazing watching him learn and switch to being like 'oh wait im the mom now, i gotta figure out what that means'. Plus I'm sure he's anxious he hasn't seen his lady. Also can we talk about how those chicks are so adaptive they see some pliers come in with food and go WHELP STRANGE GIANT ALIEN BEING, YOU LOOK LIKE MOM ENOUGH TO ME.

[@Roxas_Sanity]

The look of the three chicks when you brought them back their siblings was priceless. 😂😂😂

[@justeon2000]

LOL the eye contact at the very end 🤣🤣🤣

[@SupaFly10579]

So nice that you intervened! I'm tired of the "let nature take it's course" rhetoric where people watch slow and cruel deaths. I understand it happens, but if we are viewing and can help, why the heck not!?! I saved many animals as a kid and I do still today! Just caught a little warbler that got stunned from a cold spell.

[@lindalumae]

I agree. If we are there, and can help, we should. IMO

[@SunnyvaleTrailerParkSupervisor]

Well said completely agree

[@TinyBewPuppy]

Maybe people realize they don't know what to do and don't want to take it on? That's okay too.

[@Pandabrah_D]

His efforts aren't just for entertainment purposes too. Kestrel numbers have been declining rapidly in the UK so it's that much more important to save as many chicks as he can to help, even just a little, with this issue.

[@AnnaBelleEevee]

Its the least we can do to make up for humanity's mistakes in the past

[@LilumGlorias]

This is what nature videos should be about - helping wild nature to survive and not just silently watch how it dies! Thank you for helping them! You are awesome!

[@RobertEFuller]

Thanks 😊 not everyone agrees I should help out, but how could anyone watch as these chicks die, when it’s possible to save them. Most wildlife is in difficulty’s because of humans and what we do to there habitat

[@fhetty]

What a great dad! I remember seeing a documentary about a male tiger doing this exact same thing when the mother of his cubs died. Never let it be said that nature can't produce some amazing fathers!

[@Treize132]

Zalim the mother was poisoned so he raised his daughters alone. Zalim actually raised another pair of cubs before he died in a territorial dispute

[@udparent2730]

I saw the documentary too. It was very interesting.

[@autumnblizzard]

What was the documentary??

[@anna.owo.]

Tigers are kinda of good fathers, they may not really raise together their cubs with their mate but they look out for them

[@flightlesslord2688]

Its hard not to anthropomorphise, as he really seems like he's doing his best, but can tell he isnt doing it right, or isnt big enough to brood them as well as his mate could. Of course we cant know what he's thinking, or the complexity of said thoughts, but I think its fair to suggest he's actively trying to learn how to best keep his kids alive and well, but finds it difficult without his mate.

[@malloryg4251]

I agree with you, and I don't care if people say we're projecting our human emotions onto animals. I think that they feel far more than we realize. Mr. Kes looked more than just distressed that his mate wasn't around. He looked "sad."

[@flightlesslord2688]

@@malloryg4251 indeed. Of course we can't know what they truly feel, but it seems odd to me to assume they feel nothing

[@hiyo1234]

I agree too, it really looks like Mr Kes is trying his hardest. saddened because his mate is gone but determined to care for the wee ones.

[@nekozimo]

I agree

[@ritankurai6260]

@@flightlesslord2688 well not that long ago it was truly believed that animals could not feel pain or anything. so it doesnt surprise me when people still think animals cant think

[@nibirue]

This is like the animal planet version of a mom abandoning her kids due to stress and the father having to step up as a fulltime single dad. Also feels like a Disney movie.

[@dreacranford]

It's like how a dad (or mom) can watch the other parent make the same meal for years, but can't replicate it if they're gone.

[@mnd7381]

I guess no one ever can copy mom's technique... makes me nervous thinking what I would do when my parents wouldn't be around anymore...

[@boopdoop2251]

In my opinion it seems more like how we’ve failed young men by not teaching them basics of how to cook or shown young fathers how to do so much as change a diaper.

[@ncrest4365]

@@boopdoop2251 there are many men who can cook, they just don't want to learn the most basic survival skill for some reason, too dependent on their mom to cook for them still.

[@jayc342009]

@@boopdoop2251 i know plenty of men myself included who know how to cook...where do you live?

[@crowborn666]

Him learning this behavior makes me wonder if he started to remember what his mother did for him as a chick! Edit: I’d also like to ask, what is the bulbous part on the chicks’ necks?

[@TheDoMOsan]

It's called the crop. It's an extra pouch to store food just in case they have to go longer without a meal. They fill their stomachs then fill their crop.

[@crowborn666]

@@TheDoMOsan ohh ok!

[@Deedoof]

@@TheDoMOsan It's the other way around; the crops fill first, then over time makes it was to the stomach. Birds that regurgitate to feed their babies use food stored in the crop.

[@ethribin4188]

Birds are among the more intelligent animals in the world. Same level as mammals and way above reptiles, amphibians and fish. Still, big achievemen from Mr Kess. I do agree its likely a mix of instinct, the glimpses of what Ms Kess did in the past, and memories of when he was a chick himself.

[@MeidoInHebun]

Probably not remembering, just figuring things out, animals are smarter than we give them credit for. Some birds can solve relatively complex problems like using pebbles to raise the water level of a container and reach floating food.

[@iLano79]

As another papa who struggled raising his kid because mama disappeared, I couldn't help but getting emotional when Mr. Kes worked so hard and struggled to care for his babies. We can do it Mr. Kes! Thank you for helping him Mr. Fuller and sharing this amazing story.

[@azara7574]

I'm sure i'm not the only one who mentally cheered when Mr. Kes worked out that he had to tear up the food! I'm glad to see a brief appearance of Mrs. Kes as I was concerned that she had been fatally injured in that last fight. I guess we won't know until the next update if she was okay after that, I hope she recovered! It's amazing to see this male Kestrel working so hard and learning new skills to keep his chicks alive. I imagine that there is a potential issue with the chicks being vulnerable to predation while he's out hunting and there's no one in the nest to defend it. I have my fingers crossed for some of the chicks surviving to fledgling stage :)

[@shinjineesen400]

We will never know what happened to Mrs Kes. The consensus of watchers and REF is that she probably died of her injuries. She was struggling to reach the nest on her last appearance.

[@azara7574]

@@shinjineesen400 Yes, seems like she came worse off in those owl fights. It's a shame as she was such a great mother and character. On the positive side, all her offspring made it out of the nest thanks to the amazing Mr. Kes (and a little help from Robert) so her lineage has carried on ^^

[@CMK2015]

Dad Of The Year 🦸‍♂️

[@NatureFilmsByJohnKha]

It's great to see the male can flexibly adapt his behaviour to changing circumstances!

[@kaymeijvogel_]

I can’t get over how incredibly smart birds are. He figured this out all by himself it’s incredible!

[@millie9814]

Hey, two dads helped raise the babies, actually! 😀💚👏👏👏

[@elpirata5468]

These baby kestrels had 2 wonderful Dads

[@em945]

I am sure there are a lot of human Dads who have been forced to do a ' Mr Kes' . Life can be tough, but so resilient. Thanks for your work. I bet there was some sleep lost!

[@kigut7443]

my dad is a mr. kes. after we kicked my abusive mother out, he had to raise me all by himself. wasnt very good at cooking or cleaning, but he was always there for me as a source of stability and protection. still is, too. i love my dad and im thankful every day to have someone like him backing me up

[@em945]

@@kigut7443 wonderful story. Glad to hear it has worked out for you both. I am sure it was very tough at the time.

[@Ksweetpea]

Mr Kes figuring out how to tear up food for his peeps is still such an incredible thing to me

[@kpearli]

RIP Mr Kes, thank you for sharing his beautiful story with us!!

[@RobertEFuller]

His Full story coming out tomorrow

[@DoctorCheryl]

Mr Kes deserves "father of the Year" award!

[@thomaswilleborts6771]

Thank you,Robert! This is a heart-warming movie how Kes takes care over the chicks as a dad,when their mother has gone. It's very brave to do this task on his own. Thanks to you and Kes they can grow up as adult-Kestrels. That's adorable to see in this documentary. With love and adoration, T❣️🪶

[@TrashT42]

epic

[@sourvibes8338]

Mr.Kes really said” fine I’ll do it myself” and started doing both the mothers and the dads job at the same time even though he is not built to stay and feed

[@ErelasInglor]

Fatherhood at its finest, heartbreaking that the mother is the way she is in this instance.

[@toolatetothestory]

Injured and traumatised, at this point... Poor thing

[@mothie]

This is nothing short of incredible! You can really feel how much both Mr. Kes and You yourself care about these chicks.

[@RobertEFuller]

Thanks the easy option would to be for me to hand rear them but I wanted to try to keep these chicks as wild as possible

[@ahmedhussain999]

@@RobertEFuller I thought this was Apollo & his brood. I've wondered what happened to them.... So sad

[@Atombender]

I was literally jumping for joy when I saw Mrs Kes returning to the nest. Was expecting the worst.

[@jare3459]

he is a single dad who trying his best and that's all really can ask from a father.

[@sydneymomma11]

Wow. To think, without Robert and crew, we would never have known of this incredible test of perseverance aced by Mr. Kes. Aren't we lucky? 💖

[@victoriaregina8344]

How about the incredible act of adultery done by mrs.kes!!!!!!!

[@dagmarkunzel5406]

I think Mr Kes should get the Father of the Year award. Thanks for the help and the video.

[@kickazz2730]

My dad grew up without a father (he died when my dad as very young) so he would do chores and help his mom. When he got married and had his own kids, he helped my mom with house chores as well as taking on a daddy roles too. I now have my own kids since my late father passed and taught my boys how to cook, clean, do yard work, fix our cars, etc. It's not about a male or female role but a survival skills that we all have to learn.

[@carguy3833]

This put me in tears, my wife passed away a few years ago leaving me with 6mo , 2yr and 4yo daughters. I felt his struggle.

[@Josephe-Anne]

This is such an incredible and inspiring story! Mr. Kes is Super Dad! I can't help but wonder what ever happened to Mrs. Kes though.

[@victoriaregina8344]

Obviously eloped with a handsomer mr.kes!

[@toolatetothestory]

@@victoriaregina8344 From what I could read in the other comments, it seems most likely that she died due to the injuries she got from fighting the owls. Poor thing

[@ehhhh5137]

It’s horrible to think that this happened where there have been chicks and no mom or dad come back. And nobody like a hero like you was there to save them. God bless you

[@kathleencarter7231]

I've seen an experienced male eagle that lost a mate teach new mate how to tear up prey and feed to young. She then became more confident, so this behavior seems learned, not necessarily instinctual. Great video and very interesting!!

[@StarWarsomania]

It probably depends on the species, as well. Kestrels are known to have very sex-specific roles, and Mr Kes really is a one-in-a-million dad here. Every account I’ve ever read of American Kestrels with a dead/vanished mom resulted in the babies starving to death, surrounded by food they can’t eat. It’s not really the male’s fault, he’s just following the little bird program in his brain that tells him “babies hungry = hunt more”. After all, he’s usually responsible for feeding himself, mom, and 3-6 growing babies until the mom can join him in hunting towards the end of the breeding season. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, so the pressure to keep hunting has to be high in his little bird brain.

[@rosenia5409]

I'm so glad Robert made a more detailed video of when he took care of them, I could listen to their story all day. It was unbelievable of all that has happened, but through the storm, Mr. Kes really shined! Such a good father 🥰

[@Wayniesgirl]

What a hero you are. Not only to those needy chicks, but to all us wanting to learn how to do more in our world

[@silverbell4548]

This is the equivalent to giving a newborn baby a carrot and expecting it to eat it lol. This was cute, thanks for helping Mr. Kets 🥰🥰🥰

[@debrarandall6913]

That's so sad to watch him calling for her.. but dad steps up. He finally figures it out. Nature is so amazing. Thank you for helping them, and for sharing their journey with us.

[@AE-se9bl]

Wonderful video, and even if I followed this on the stream - it brings tears in my eyes to see how Mr Kes struggle ! Thank God he had help from you Robert E Fuller! Fantastic how he realized how to feed them ! All in all a true miracle! Thanks for your lovely videos! 🥰🤗

[@ricotta5753]

This was absolutely riveting to watch. Even tho I knew you were there to care for the chicks if the dad couldn’t, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It’s amazing how he realized he must fill the mother’s role and that he cared about them enough to do it.

[@RobertEFuller]

It was incredible to watch how it worked out what he needed to do.

[@JAPANDYNOIR]

You are such a beautiful human being ! You truly care for these innocent creatures! Thank you🎉 It touched my heart how Mr ket didn’t give up on his babies . It reminded me of my own father cause my mom walked away when I was just a baby !

[@RobertEFuller]

Thanks 😊 i always try to do my best for my wild neighbours I would much prefer they razed there chicks on there own but Mr Kes needed a helping hand

[@steveh2544]

Beautiful photography. The colour and resolution of the adult birds on the nest entrance is excellent.

[@theilluminati682]

My GOD, if that's not the most relatable story, perfectly translatable from animals to humans then I don't know what is.

[@kulehulfer4385]

Wait no, I need more, I need more of this family, it's so good.

[@torcabrat90]

God bless you and your family for helping to this amazing birds

[@PigcatxYT]

This Is So Sweet Of The Male To Take Care And Also It’s Great To See Him Taking Care Kindly!😊

[@heatherwhittaker6169]

Thank you Robert...your videos are wonderfu.l Mrs .Kess may have been injured. When she went out for food..I love your care of nature.❤️

[@ellenriemann576]

Your such a good man to step in and help this beautiful family live. I love your channel so much. Thank you

[@SaphStitched]

So glad to see Mrs Kes is still alive but wonder what’s wrong with her that caused her to stay away from her babies!

[@doncyan0322]

I was moved by the great father and cute children and Robert🌺from Japan🌸

[@sylphofthewildwoods5518]

Such a lovely story. I enjoyed watching this unfold this summer. So sorry Mrs. Kes went missing. Thank you, Mr. Fuller.

[@jackmunch6978]

He’s a good dad.

[@Chrissie780]

This is the most beautiful heartwarming bitter sweet thing I’ve ever seen. U have NO IDEA how many times I’ve screamed at my tv for the cameramen to step in and help an animal JUST A TINY BIT! 😂 we could make a huge difference if we stepped in and helped instead of just filming for tv. And saying “oh it’s just nature” YEAH WELL we are apart of nature too! Doesn’t hurt to help out.

[@m.s.9744]

Take note people : A mom and a dad are necessary for a healthy family to raise children 😊

[@johnames6430]

the way he's able to just bring back a mouse anytime is amazing, I've seen birds like this hunt

[@marygabaree622]

God BLESS you for saving those adorable chicks. It broke my heart to see them suffering like that.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@cq9882]

I cannot find the words to Thank You enough. They are such beautiful birds. I’ve seen Zoologists interven many times. Your kindness and dedication is much appreciated. Fellow Bird Lover from Australia. 🦅🇦🇺

[@thewitchofbathnc]

Been waiting for this update! I'm so glad Mr. Kes is adapting. What strange behavior from Mrs. Kes. Perhaps she was attacked rather badly and is confused or injured to the point that she can't help? Either way, what a beautiful show of male adaptation. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@Sannypowa]

Beautiful bird, that silver plumage on its head and tail is so pretty

[@seti6272]

I wonder why Mrs Kes decided to abandon her nest. I thought this whole time she had passed away! By the way, we love your work Mr Rob! I'm looking forward again to the next sequel for these kestrels 😊

[@dipakganguli2027]

Enjoy the channel? Your devotion to the chicks is incredible!! Hope they grow up rewarding your efforts.

[@eizol568]

Dad’s always love their children. Good job.

[@tbascoebuzz4782]

Such an incredible video. Watching Mr. Kes struggle and then instinctively know what must be done is extremely fascinating. He steps up to a dual role. Thank you RF….informative, beautiful, and heartwarming videos.

[@ryantang5778]

Another great update video! Thx

[@harrydavey9884]

This is one of the greatest things I've ever seen. Mate, what a brilliant project you run.

[@RobertEFuller]

Thanks 👍 next instalment coming next week 😄

[@philipemmanuel9747]

I thank you for caring for them, recording the whole process. You are very inspirational, kind hearted.

[@randyrandom3358]

That's really sad and awesome at the same time, thanks for looking out for Mr. Kes and his kids, for intervening and helping

[@jameswatsonatheistgamer]

Mr. Kes is the man. He's got this.

[@mareped9010]

I love the 3 older chicks reaction to the younger ones being placed in the nest. 🤣

[@grandthanatos]

I love how, at this stage, they look like Sam the Eagle from the Muppets. Especially when they're surprised by the back of the nest opening!

[@kathyceltics]

What a great dad ♥️can't wait for the next part of this story ! Appreciate everything you do.

[@Dcook85]

I'm not crying, YOU'RE CRYING!

[@henryburgess9909]

Beautiful!, Heart warming I loved it!

[@benneywenney]

He did more for those chicks in one day than my dad has in 23 years

[@AnnaMarianne]

I'm sorry to hear that.... At least your heavenly Father loves you. We humans can let each other and ourselves down. And deep down we as the kid often feel like it's somehow our fault - if we had been different, our parent would have done more for us, tried more, loved more. Which is not true. People have their own burdens, and sometimes they just weren't ready to become parents. But there are other people out there, who are ready and willing to give us affection. Wishing you the best!

[@cassandrahenry]

😂😂😂 same

[@Meadowlark-Video]

I've been waiting for this!! Their story is so inspiring.

[@elenoradaimio4979]

Damn!! I was worried for them, this is such great news! Incredible to see Mr. Kes learning new behaviours and becoming a more rounded parent! Your channel is so precious, thank you for your updates!

[@Go4CostaRica]

I appreciate your work,thank you very much for sharing

[@noko4247]

This is absolutely amazing

[@petadelsonno5973]

You can do it Mr Kess!!!! He's such a star