THE KESTREL 167 



It will also eat insects, especially beetles, and in 

 the early mornings, when the worms are up on 

 the surface, is not above an easily gathered meal 

 of them. Its method of mouse hunting has 

 already been described, how it hovers forty or fifty 

 feet above the ground waiting and watching for 

 a vole to move in the grass below, and then drops 

 upon it ; but sometimes, if a small bird appears 

 beneath, offering it an easy capture, it will drop 

 on that instead. It certainly does not go out 

 of its way to look for birds ; at any rate as a 

 rule. I say "as a rule " because everything 

 has its exceptions, and in all species you will 

 find now and again an individual that does not 

 behave like the rest of its kind, so, once in a while, 

 you may meet with a kestrel that drops on 

 birds, not by accident, but by intention ; but in 

 these instances the old saying, that " exceptions 

 prove the rule," should not be forgotten, in 

 this case " the rule " being that the kestrel is 

 chiefly a mouse-slayer, supplementing this diet 

 with insects and grubs. Dr. Collinge estimates 

 that from our point of view 64*5 per cent, of the 

 food of this bird is directly beneficial, 29*5 per 

 cent, neutral, and 6 per cent, injurious. 1 But, 

 as the only injury a kestrel does us is when 

 an exceptional one attacks young pheasants, 

 partridges, or chickens, I think even 6 per cent, 

 is too high an estimate. I must add that I 

 have never known a kestrel take a chicken, 

 accusations of doing so always turning out to 



Witherby's Handbook of British Birds, p. 124. 



