From Eggs to Four Chicks: A Lapwing Family Journey

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Hello, dear friends.

[00:00:02]Red wattled lapwing. Now, if you can say that fast, one after the other, well done.

[00:00:10]You've got a very good speech. Red wattled lapwing. Red wattled lap I can't do it. Anyway, um our experience with this bird here in Kerala has been amazing. I mean, we can't take it for granted, can't we, as adults that we're in India for 2 years. Um you know, time seems to be going so quickly here, but some things have special memories like the birth of the red wattled lapwing chicks. There's another tongue twister for you.

[00:00:43]Um and you know, we're here for 2 years. Now, 2 years for an adult is a long time, right? But I mean, even 6 months for a child is a long time. We tend to underestimate how long this trip is in the world of a child, right?

[00:01:00]When you're 5, when you're 11, when you're 12, whatever it is, um it's a long time and what what sticks with you is the memories. Now, we take it for granted sometimes that things are happening in India. There Oh, there's our pool, by the way, you know.

[00:01:16]Um these eggs were on the on the lawn for like weeks and weeks and weeks after this red wattled lapwing mother had laid her eggs and we were protecting the eggs, uh making, you know, trying to make sure that the the snakes not many snakes, but you know, the mongoose wouldn't get them.

[00:01:35]I think she lost one one chick eventually, but we we witnessed the the chicks arriving, the kids did, from eggs, week after week. That mother would sit on her eggs down there faithfully and they'd fly over giving their warning call. all over us protecting and the mom and dad once they were born would patrol they'd be patrolling the the grounds looking after these chicks who were running wild, running rampant.

[00:02:13]And you know, bit like our children can if they're left alone running rampant in the garden, you know, and the the the adults are chasing chasing around after them making sure they're okay.

[00:02:25]So there's a lot of symbolism in the watching the eggs come from the watching the eggs grow into chicks and the chicks grow into um older birds. Now these birds are now they've now left and they've now gone to the the other garden over there. Bit safer.

[00:02:43]Um but for for one for weeks and weeks and weeks they were around here. The chicks were wandering around in the in the undergrowth and they would disappear and then the the mom and dad would would would run around after them calling that certain type of call. It wasn't the it was a different one to see where are you and we got to know the kind of chirping, the kind of noises they would do with their children to find them.

[00:03:08]It all seems quite normal when you're here but when you look at it closely, it's such an experience for a child to have, isn't it? Yeah, you know, it's um it's a memory.

[00:03:20]I would just thank God that we've got these types of memories and um the lap eggs and the birth of the chicks and all that whole process like I said when you look at it for what it is it's a simple thing but in the detail of it and the experience our children had of it I think it's a very valuable life experience.

[00:03:46]To watch that mother guard the chicks, guard the eggs over weeks and weeks and weeks. You're sitting in the middle of the lawn with her eggs. It actually quite exposed. They weren't in a bush or anything. They were out in the open.

[00:03:57]She'd sit there and we were going by doing our business and she would run off and come back again. The the daddy the daddy bird would be patrolling and going over overhead, you know, trying to warn us off being too close to the chicks, the eggs. And then when the chicks were born, Eliana found one of the chicks and brought them back brought it back. The chicks would wander off and the mother be and the mom and dad would be looking around the garden, you know, kind of patrolling and the chicks would be in the undergrowth and we'd be thinking, "Oh, no, what if the mongoose come?" Well, there's a mongoose in the garden somewhere. We do see it occasionally, big thing.

[00:04:32]Um and we're thinking, "What if the mongoose gets the chicks?" And all that whole interaction that all that experience um is something that the children will remember. And um yeah, just to say that this is not just about some birds having some chicks and some eggs.

[00:04:49]It's much more. It symbolizes a birth, parenting, looking after your kid your children, that whole process of parenting. Albeit it's an animal, it's the same type of process we have as adults. And that whole process of watching and us finding the chick, Eliana finding that chick and bringing it back to its mom. There's all sorts of stuff you can unpack in that. And um that's what the our trip in India's about. That's what it's about. It's not about us coming here and it's about what's happening in that trip. It's not just here coming in to see India for a great time and you know, we're taking it for granted. We can see the detail of what the experience is for the children and we think that's really valuable. Um all the then there's many more experiences they're having here. So, enjoy the video. I hope it means something to you guys. Um and uh yeah, take care of yourselves.

[00:06:28]>> What is happening? Who is that?

[00:07:01]Wait, they might not be cats.

[00:07:08]What happened, buddy?

[00:07:11]What Why are you making a lot of noise?

[00:07:18]What happened?

[00:07:21]Something okay?

[00:07:37]Yeah, they're there.

[00:07:40]Don't worry.

[00:07:56]It's okay.

[00:08:06]Don't worry. Don't worry.

[00:08:10]No, they are not They are not hatched.

[00:08:18]No, something might have threatened them. That's when they usually make that noise. A snake? No, maybe a mongoose or monkey. Yeah, the mongoose could have been. Monkeys? Mongoose.

[00:08:39]What, Tiana? Oh, there's lots of birds in the garden. I think the eggs have hatched. You think so?

[00:08:46]Yeah.

[00:08:47]Let's go have a look if Are the Oh, wow. Wow.

[00:09:03]I don't think they are the babies, though.

[00:09:15]Okay, the mommy is making sounds, so the babies may not be hatched.

[00:09:20]No, we are not going to hurt you.

[00:09:25]No, the eggs are not hatched. They are still there intact.

[00:09:31]Well, it's been like 3 weeks.

[00:09:33]I don't think there is long to to go now.

[00:09:41]I'm going back because I don't want to keep the mommy anxious.

[00:09:47]Huh? Have they hatched? No, they haven't hatched.

[00:09:51]They haven't hatched.

[00:09:54]What?

[00:09:57]I can't see the eggs.

[00:09:59]You can't see the eggs.

[00:10:08]Mommy, Mommy What happened?

[00:10:17]Uh-oh. Look chick.

[00:10:19]WHERE?

[00:10:20]OH!

[00:10:20]>> [screaming] >> OH, THEY'RE GORGEOUS.

[00:10:36]WHERE ARE THEY?

[00:10:38]THEY'RE THEY'RE so tiny. You can barely see them. Where are they?

[00:10:43]I just saw them move and I can't see them anymore.

[00:10:50]Where are they? I just saw them. They're so tiny. It's difficult to see them.

[00:10:56]I can't see them. They're so tiny.

[00:11:00]They were over there.

[00:11:02]They are just so tiny. I saw them move.

[00:11:05]I think they camouflaged among the grass or something.

[00:11:10]I think I can see one in that black shape in the grass.

[00:11:14]Where?

[00:11:16]Be careful they might start dive bombing you.

[00:11:18]Where? They might get nasty.

[00:11:21]Yeah, they have to take care of their babies, but I They've gone so quiet. We can't see them now.

[00:11:29]I saw Look at for a moment and then I only saw them, only two. They are in that area but we cannot see them. They are I I only saw two. Even the eggshells are not here. Where are the eggshells gone?

[00:11:49]I wonder.

[00:11:56]Where are the babies?

[00:12:10]The mommy and daddy are warning them.

[00:12:12]Stay there. Don't move. Stay there.

[00:12:14]Don't move.

[00:12:24]They They are hiding. They are somewhere there. We saw at least two of them.

[00:12:31]But now we cannot see them but they are hiding. They are somewhere there.

[00:12:47]The a tiny black spot that we can see near that stone.

[00:13:02]But they are so obedient, aren't they?

[00:13:05]They are listening to their parents and staying so still.

[00:13:19]Yeah, very tiny.

[00:13:21]Yeah.

[00:13:23]Yeah, those three.

[00:13:25]There's the other one.

[00:14:19]So, what happened was we woke up early in the morning cuz there was a lot of they were making a lot of noise and my sister came and woke me up and said, "The the the chicks, we saw them." So, we went outside and we kept trying to get close to them but they were really well hidden. So, then my mom told me, "You try to get some good photos." And all of them went inside. So, I was kind of determined that I would not go inside without some good photos. So, I saw one of the chicks quite close which is the same chick that I helped. Uh so, the the parents all over the one area near the the big tree, uh they they were getting really defensive. So, I went down and then I saw one of the chicks there.

[00:15:08]And uh so, the parents were there at first like making sure I didn't do anything to them. But then the parents moved away cuz I was just crouching really still at the camera for like 5 minutes. So, they thought, "She's home and she hasn't seen the chick." And the chick was all uh camouflaged in this little bunch of grass. So, then I can't take a photo so I didn't want to get any closer. Then the chick, after maybe 2 or 3 minutes, the chick got up.

[00:15:33]But he was he was like really floppsy and he fell down again and then stayed there. So, I got a bit closer that time.

[00:15:40]Come on, little man, this way.

[00:15:41]Yep. Up there.

[00:15:44]Oh, there. Yes, I think he's got sight of them.

[00:15:48]Come on, this way.

[00:15:50]This way.

[00:15:53]Yep.

[00:15:55]Yep, through there.

[00:15:56]If you want to go that way.

[00:15:58]Come on.

[00:16:00]He's got overturned.

[00:16:02]Okay, now he's back.

[00:16:03]Come on.

[00:16:05]Yes.

[00:16:07]This way, come on.

[00:16:10]What's he doing? He must think he's being chased again, followed.

[00:16:15]Ooh, now he's back on his feet.

[00:16:18]Not through there. Okay, well, you can sneak out if you want.

[00:16:21]Here he goes.

[00:16:24]Down there. Okay, don't get lost again.

[00:16:29]Yep.

[00:16:30]Keep going.

[00:16:32]It's quite a walk.

[00:16:35]Maybe his parents will fly down here if they realize that he's okay.

[00:16:41]I'm glad I was managed to I managed to help him.

[00:16:44]Oh, he collapsed again. You okay? Yep, back on his feet. So, then he kept wandering away from his parents. So, I was kind of like I didn't want to leave him because I knew there were like snakes and mongoose and stuff in the undergrowth, but I didn't want to stay there for ages as well since I was I still in my 90s. I hadn't had any breakfast. It was like 7:30.

[00:17:10]So, I I tried to pick him up and I did.

[00:17:14]And then I had to go up the hills, like climb climbing up, which was a bit difficult since I was holding it. And then as soon as the parents saw me with the chicken in their hands, they got like really angry.

[00:17:28]So, I did I wanted to put him up right up to his parents, but I put him on a rock near them as well. Um we were going outside to look at the birds.

[00:17:35]Um we saw the baby birds, but they're so good at hiding. They camouflage themselves against the grass and everything.

[00:17:44]So, we first couldn't see them, but then we went and hid ourselves, and then we saw one of them, and then we went there, and we know where it was we knew where it was hiding, and I touched it. Did you? Here. Oh, exciting.

[00:18:02]>> The bird is sitting on the chicks.

[00:18:18]And now her chicks are over there.

[00:18:53]But if if you move it too much, it hates it. If you move it too much, it's going to realize what's happening. Can I hold it? And Aw. Can I hold it? Can I hold it?

[00:19:06]Can I hold it? Aw, baby.

[00:19:09]Touch it. Aw, baby. We've been waiting for you, baby.

[00:19:14]>> Wait. Wait. Wait.

[00:19:15]I could only see this one. I couldn't see any other. It's not very fluffy.

[00:19:19]It's quite bony.

[00:19:21]But it's definitely bigger than last.

[00:19:26]I could only see this one. I couldn't see any other.

[00:19:32]No, but I can't They have a very They have a very poor sense of smell. They have what? A very poor sense of smell.

[00:19:41]And careful. Just touch it lightly. It's very soft body.

[00:19:46]Aw.

[00:19:47]>> to not to not move for the danger.

[00:19:49]>> Yeah.

[00:19:51]Hello, baby.

[00:19:53]>> Once it start Once I start walking around and stuff, it will jump off.

[00:19:57]Hello, baby. You don't understand our language, do you?

[00:20:02]Aw, you are so cute.

[00:20:05]>> [laughter] >> We were waiting for you to be born.

[00:20:09]Where are your sisters and brothers?

[00:20:15]Uh Mom is not very sure.

[00:20:26]Mommy's calling. Mommy's calling. Let Let him or her go. But it doesn't jump off like that, does it?

[00:20:36]Go to your mommy, baby.

[00:20:38]No, I'll I'll carry I'll carry it. Um uh that may not be very safe.

[00:20:52]Yeah. Yeah, leave Don't touch >> Leave it.

[00:20:56]Yeah.

[00:20:56]Leave it. Leave it. Leave it. I can't find the other one.

[00:20:59]>> Mommy will come and find it. Move.

[00:21:01]>> one's probably they die. They They get No, I saw I saw two today morning, but I couldn't see the other two. Shayana, move it. Move on. See how still it stays? It stays so still waiting for his mommy daddy's instruction.

[00:21:18]See?

[00:21:21]Love, if you want to learn obedience, you should learn from this bird because if they are disobedient, that means they're dead.

[00:21:30]The mom's not going to come while you're close by. Yeah, Shayana, move. Shayana.

[00:21:36]It's little, Mommy. It's so small. Yeah.

[00:21:38]I'm bigger than it. Yeah, you're bigger than it. I see a little snail. It's little. There.

[00:21:44]Okay, Shayana, come.

[00:21:46]Time to play. Shayana, let us move so its mommy can come and take care of it.

[00:21:51]That's not a snail. That's a worm, but the bird will just eat it. All right, let's go to the car.

[00:21:56]>> Come on. Come on. Come on. We need to go get ready and go.

[00:22:01]Yes.

[00:22:02]Oh, it Where is it? Where is it? Hey, it's over there. It's going to be all right. It's mommy daddy and here to take care of.

[00:22:16]See, as we move, the mommy will come and take care of it. See?

[00:22:20]Coming to check on it. Are you okay, my baby?

[00:22:30]It's not coming to it. It's going straight.

[00:22:34]Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. It's not going to it. It's going straight.

[00:22:37]Stop it.

[00:22:44]Look. Look.

[00:22:45]>> [crying] >> Yeah.

[00:22:51]Mommy said you can move and it moved.

[00:22:54]Went away.

[00:22:58]I think this one is the daddy because if it was a mommy, it would go straight under its wing.