Nature's soap opera': how a wildlife artist's nestboxes became a YouTube hit

Robert Fuller builds nest boxes in the Yorkshire Wolds to photograph and film owls, kestrels, and kingfishers, but adds cameras because he cannot see nesting activity inside. He livestreams the footage on YouTube, initially without expectations, and lockdown later drove viewer growth. His channel averages 2.8 million monthly views and is approaching one million global subscribers. Viewers worldwide watch births, fledgling flights, and courtship, including live first meetings. Barn owl courtship is frequently awkward on camera, and a young barn owl’s thunder reaction has 27.7 million views. A kestrel pair’s nest-defense battle has 16.6 million views.

"I started building nest boxes for me to photograph and film from, which were in fallen-down trees, he said. I'd get my chainsaw out and make them into a natural nest box. The frustration was I couldn't see what was happening inside, so I started placing cameras. He then decided to stream the footage live on YouTube."

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