THE KESTREL 29 



the score of size, it is not easy to distinguish it 

 from the Lesser Kestrel. 



There are two Kestrels in Egypt : the one we 

 have already described, and the Lesser Kestrel, 

 which is like a small edition of the former, with 

 the exception that his back and wings of bright 

 red-brown are without spots, and the breast is only 

 marked with small black spots, while the claws are 

 yellowish white. Its length is 11*5 inches. When 

 seen flying it is well-nigh impossible to identify it 

 from the larger species, and I have heard of cases 

 of men having shot what they thought was the 

 Common Kestrel, and finding to their astonishment 

 that it was the much rarer Lesser Kestrel. Its 

 food consists mainly of insects and beetles, but 

 it varies this stock diet with mice. I have seen 

 it sitting in a cleft of the wall of the Ramaseum 

 and other temples, but it is by no means a 

 common bird. It nests commonly in the ruins and 

 temples, and on the high cliffs, and its young can 

 be oftener heard than seen, as they utter a very 

 penetrating squeak, squeak, squeak call. 



