BIRDS OF THE GARDEN 33 



Food. Mice, rats, voles, and moles ; also small birds, 

 and insects, and occasionally fish. 



Nest. April onwards. Two broods. 



Site. In hole in a tree, in church-tower, ruins, barns, 

 and similar places. 



Materials. None . 



Eggs. Three to six. White, unglossy, and almost 

 spherical in shape. Like other Owls it has a curious 

 habit of laying two or three eggs, and then after incuba- 

 tion has begun it lays another batch, and perhaps another, 

 so that one may find young and more or less incubated 

 eggs in the same nest. 



KESTREL (Falco tinnunculus). 



Pretty common everywhere, not seeming to prefer 

 any particular kind of country. The commonest of our 

 Birds of Prey. 



Plumage. Head, lower back, and tail bluish grey. 

 Tail broadly banded with black and tipped with white ; 

 remaining upper parts buffish red, with small, black 

 triangular markings. Wings blackish brown ; under 

 parts pale yellowish red, spotted and streaked with 

 dusky. Moustachial streak indistinct. Bill blue. Cere 

 and legs yellow. Length 13 in. Female : upper parts 

 reddish brown, with bluish black transverse bars ; wings 

 darker ; under parts paler ; length 15 in. Young, like 

 female, but paler. Nestlings, greyish-white down. 



Language. A sharp scream, like " kee-kee-kee." 



Habits. It hovers (hence Windhover) when on the 

 look-out for its prey a distinctive habit. On spying 

 some quarry, it falls plumb to the ground and seizes it. 

 Wings rather short, but flight is rapid and graceful. 



Food. Mice chiefly ; also small birds, frogs, and 

 various kinds of insects. 



Nest. April. One brood. 



Site. Very often in some old Crow's nest, among 

 ruins, or on ledge of sea-cliffs, &c. 



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