THE KESTREL 



molested, one of the most gallant birds that cleave the 

 air of Britain. The adult male bird, by the way, is to 

 be distinguished from the female by his somewhat 

 inferior size, and by the fact that his tail and the crown 

 of his head are alike of a fine grey colouring, the tail 

 marked with a broadish black bar towards the white 

 tip — while the head and tail of the female are of the 

 same rufous colouring as the back. The hen bird's 

 tail carries dusky transverse bars, with a broader one 

 towards the extremity. 



Kestrels nest in various situations ; the illustration 

 shows one of their breeding-places, among rocky and 

 precipitous cliffs. The nest consists of sticks loosely 

 put together, and lined with wool, grass, or some 

 other soft substance. Where cliffs and rocks are 

 absent they build with equal readiness in trees, and 

 not seldom may be found refurbishing and inhabiting 

 the deserted nests of crows and magpies. Occasionally, 

 in open or fen country, they may even make their 

 nesting-place on flat, level ground. Hollow trees and 

 ruins are also occasionally made use of. Kestrels 

 seem to me to cherish a peculiar affection for their 

 ancient nesting-places. I can remember, as a lad, in 

 Northamptonshire a kestrel always making her nest in 

 a large oak tree in the centre of a grass field, known 

 as '* Apple-tree meadow." And as far as I could learn 

 from the haymakers, who came annually to their work 

 there, a kestrel had always had her abiding-place in 

 that tree for at least a generation back — probably for 

 many generations. These birds usually display very 

 little fear of mankind, and will come boldly over con- 

 siderable towns. I have repeatedly seen kestrels in 

 and about the quieter parts of Eastbourne, a town of 

 45,000 inhabitants ; once, a year or two back, I saw a 

 female make her stoop into the road near the entrance 



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