How to train a Kestrel | Part 1

I’ve been training a now 16 week old parent reared male kestrel to the lure, he’s been free only about a week and I too have noticed much more eagerness to fly to the lure rather than to the fist. Also he is exactly the same with hovering above and around me instead of doing passes, but I’m now rewarding him for when he turns away and does a circle of the field to encourage him to become less clingy rather than always rewarding when he’s constantly hovering in my face 😂. He’s just started successfully taking it from the air when I throw it up to him after he’s circled the field so I hope this will eventually lead to a successful pass. It’s my first time using a lure myself so I’m learning just as much as he is!

As a falconer, I love the honesty of trial and tribulations in this video. Nice to watch and keep up the good work

I am researching Kestrels (torenvalken in dutch) for over 6 months now, i want to THANK YOU for your TIME and EFFORT you put inn to educate people like me. It feels like i am learning more from your content then every book i read. Again THANK YOU so much! DAN the MAN! SUB+1 from Amsterdam

I’m a rookie fascinated by all of this. So cool to learn and experience all of this thank you for your dedication and sacrifice to these beautiful creatures

Another great video showing your journey with Igor. Its amazing watching him hover over you watching the lure and he was very quick at learning what was coming!

That's just amazing. This looks like exceptional progress! I don't know how long kestrels typically need to learn these behaviors, but just it looks like Igor picked up the job very quickly, which just highlights how smart birds can be. I knew corvids and parrots were smart, but I'm begining to tihnk all birds are exceptional thinkers and masters of pattern recognition. And those reflexes! I'm just really blown away here, you do good work.

10:50 didn’t think he would landed on the camera 😂 I always that it was cool that kestrels can be flying and then hover on the spot. Good job Igor can’t looking forward to part

Hi Dan love the video I love igor he is my favourite out of all ur birds great video

Lovely work, the kestrel is a beauty , you have done amazingly in a short time . Nice filming. Thanks for sharing.

This is incredible Dan keep it up and well done Igor I cant wait for part 2 ❤

Great video, love the step by step training videos.

Hi Dan Must have missed this video. What a beautiful little bird. Looks like a load of fun. Good luck with him.😊

Good training approaches and a grand little bird

Hi Dan! I wish you a good health . Hope you're doing good. It's good to see you back with these awesome videos that will help the falconry community. Looking forward to them ☺️

he is so cool when he flies and moves really fast !!!! 🐦🐦👍

This content is super underrated. Incredible footage and video structure

Thank you for the interesting video. I recently encountered a Kestral while driving to town. He was on the ground and flew into the bumper of the car. I backed up, wrapped him up in some paper towel and brought him home to administer to his wounds. He had blood from his head and right eye. My daughter treated him with a little hydrogen-peroxide around the eye and we set him up in a dog crate with branches and water. It took quite a while for the eye to heal, but he seems perfectly normal except for a lazy eye covering. He loves being fed, jumping up and down and his little chest beating when he sees me with a mouse at his door then has no problem grabbing it from me. His rehabilitation has been a little less than a month.

Great learning and interesting video ❤

Thank you so much for this video, it was really interesting, I really enjoyed it 🤩🙏

Great job mate