ACCIPITRES. ( 25 ) FALCONID^. 



THE KESTREL. 



WINDHOVER, STONEGALL, STEINGALL, STANNEL, RED HAWK. 



Falco tinnunculus. 



Ofi kaverifig o'er the bar7i-yai-d is she seen 

 In early spring. 



Grahame, Birds of Scotland. 



And with -what wing the Stanniel checks at it f 



Shakespeare, Tivelftk Night. 



The Kestrel is more frequently seen in the county during 

 spring and summer^ than any other rapacious bird, with 

 the exception of the Sparrow-Hawk, from which it may 

 be easily distinguished by its habit of hovering in the 

 air from time to time when searching for prey. Unfor- 

 tunately, it is often observed nailed up on gamekeepers' 

 vermin rails, although it is one of our most harmless 

 birds of prey, as far as game is concerned, for its food 

 consists chiefly of mice. It occasionally seizes young 

 Pheasants, however, when they are being reared, and I 

 have seen it attack a young Hare. It also feeds upon 

 small birds ; but they do not seem to be much afraid of 



1 This species has been observed on migration at the lighthouses on the coasts 

 of England and Scotland, and it is probable that most of onr Berwickshire Kestrels 

 pass southwards at the beginning of winter, although some of them remain on the 

 sea-coast of the county during that season. Mr. Hardy mentions in his MS. Notes 

 that he saw two at Peumanshiel on the 17th of January 1860. He also records 

 (Hist. Ber. Nat. Chih, vol. vii. p. 283) that he observed one near Oldcambus on the 

 23rd of December 1874 during the continuance of a heavy snowstorm ; and {ibid. 

 vol. ix. p. 125) that a specimen was seen at Oldcambus on the 31st of January 

 1879, much snow being on the ground at the time. 



