194 Kestrel 



II. KESTREL AND SPARROW-HAWK. 

 The Kestrel {Falco tinnuncidus, Linn.). 



My own object in collecting a large series of skins of the Kestrel 

 was to ascertain how much, if any, damage these Hawks do to game. 

 The Kestrel is a small and not very dashing Falcon, with no great 

 difference in size between the sexes. Before I started on the 

 collection, I accepted certain facts which are common knowledge. 

 For at least nine months in the year the Kestrel is harmless to game, 

 and extremely beneficial to the farmer from its habits of preying on 

 rodents. It takes, in addition, a considerable toll of small passerine 

 birds — Finches, Pipits, Sky-larks, etc., up to the size of a Thrush — 

 and is immoderately fond of the larger Coleopteva (Dor-beetles, 

 May-bugs, June-bugs, etc., when they are in season). In two 

 instances in my series a lepidopterous larva was found in the stomach. 



I was left to collect evidence over the three months in which 

 they might possibly be expected to do harm, and in the course of 

 my investigation, I came to the conclusion that twelve weeks was a 

 longer period than need be allowed for, eight or nine weeks being 

 nearer the mark. For though a Kestrel takes game, and takes it 

 freely enough under certain circumstances, it is essential that the 

 prey should be very small. Game-birds are not, in general terms, 

 hatched before the middle of May, and by the middle of July all, 

 except very late hatchings, are too big for the Kestrel to lift. 



In order to carry out this purpose, it was necessary to procure 

 specimens from such estates as were highly preserved, and which 

 had one or more rearing-ficlds with an abundance of Pheasant- 

 chicks, and, in some cases, hand-reared Partridges in addition. 



Further, it was desirable to collect from several different estates 

 during the game-season, provided always that these were highly 

 preserved. I, therefore, wrote to three friends in Suffolk, and one 

 in Cambridgeshire, asking if I might have all the Hawks that were 

 killed by the keepers, from May ist till August ist. I carefully 

 explained that I didn't want any Hawks killed on my account, 

 but that I should be grateful for all birds killed by the keeper in 

 the course of his duty, which would otherwise be thrown away 

 or nailed up as scarecrows on the keeper's " gallows." 



The material presented consists of specimens from four estates 

 in Suffolk (three on the coast and one in mid-Suffolk), one in 

 Cambridgeshire, and occasional specimens from Norfolk. On these 

 grounds game was reared on rather an intensive scale, and they, 

 therefore, fulfilled my requirements. 



I may say at once that I found a fairly large percentage of the 

 Kestrels frequenting the rearing-fields, and doing a vast amount of 

 damage. Out of fifty-nine birds between May 15th and July 15th, 



