156 HAWKS AND HAWK-LIKE BIRDS. 



the British Isles, and nests on the ledges of rocky 

 cliffs or in trees, in the latter case using an old nest 

 of the Magpie, Crow, or Pigeon. It feeds almost 

 exclusively on rats, mice, voles, shrews, frogs, and 

 beetles, searching the ground for them while hovering 

 generally at a height of forty or fifty feet above it. 

 Whilst hovering the bird remains stationary, heading 

 up to the wind, expanding and depressing its tail, 

 and alternately fluttering its wings without moving 

 from its position, and laying them out flat and still 

 so as to poise motionless for a few moments sup- 

 ported by the wind alone. Whilst thus occupied it 

 is the object of attack by many of the smaller birds, 

 which band together and fly about it. But the 

 Kestrel, unregarding, continues its search, and find- 

 ing nothing to attract it earthwards, circles aside and 

 heads up again to the wind to resume its hover- 

 ing search. If molested beyond endurance, it darts 

 ahead in rapid flight or bolts into a tree. Having 

 sighted quarry, however, nothing deters it, and it 

 drops in quick stages through the air, at the last like 

 a bolt, and snatching up its prey, bears it, gripped in 

 its claws, to some accustomed perch to devour it. 

 Seen from below, the long tail is very noticeable, 

 and the wings, set high on the shoulders, appear to 

 be almost on a level with the sunken head. At times 

 the bird winds its way up an ascending spiral with 

 a gliding motion, until at a great height it soars on 

 level wings with little or no movement of them at 

 all. It often takes its stand for a considerable time 

 upon a dead branch of a tree. It has a harsh chatter, 

 which it uses when molested by its assailants. No 

 other British bird has the stationary, hovering /light 



