j 



Ki 



: 



THE KESTREL 



most southerly point recorded in the African range of 

 is falcon. This example, by the way, is, I believe, 

 ill to be seen in the Norwich Museum. 

 That hawks and falcons do migrate largely is proved 

 y the appearance of myriads of them with the rains in 

 uth Africa, and their disappearance with the dry 

 ason. During a swarm of white ants in the winged 

 ge, after heavy rain and hot sunshine in Bechuana- 

 nd, I have seen hundreds upon hundreds of lesser 

 outh African kestrels, western red-footed hobbies, 

 ritish hobbies (which migrate to South Africa), and 

 ther raptorials suddenly appear whence no man could 

 y and so long as the swarm lasted prey with the 

 reatest eagerness and greed upon the myriads of fat, 

 yellowish white ants that thronged the atmosphere. It 

 was a truly wonderful sight. Other kestrels the west- 

 rn grey-winged kestrel and the greater South African 

 estrel are found in various parts of southern Africa. 

 In different parts of the world various other species 

 f kestrel are to be met with. Thus the Pekin kestrel 

 avours India and China. In America is found the 

 so-called " Sparrow-hawk," which is in reality a kestrel 

 (Tinnunculus sparverius), and ranges from the shores 

 of the Arctic Sea to Colombia ; this bird is replaced 

 urther south by a sub-species, and in the Antilles by 

 e Carribbean kestrel. Another American kestrel is 

 'innunculus isabellinus y which is met with from Georgia 

 the more northerly parts of South America. In 

 uba and San Domingo are found the Dominican 

 estrel ; Tinnunculus alopex is found in Africa from 

 ubia to Bogosland ; while the Seychelles, Mauritius, 

 adagascar, and the Molucca and Sunda Islands all 

 have kestrels of their own. Even Australia and Tas- 

 mania can boast a distinct race of this falcon, known to 

 naturalists as Tinnunculus cenchroides. 



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