238 THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



All these birds are nearly related to the Owls, their connecting 

 link being the Ospreys, one species of which was formerly common 

 in Scotland and in some parts of England, but is there now almost 

 exterminated. 



The whole of the Accipitres come under the general name of 

 " Hawks" as their name implies — accipiter, a hawk, from accipeo, to 

 take by force. They are all birds that take their prey by force. 

 The terms falcons, kites, eagles, &c., are family and sub7family 

 names for smaller groups of the great hawk tribe. 



THE KESTREL HAWK (Family Falconid^) 



This bird may be taken as a good type of the Falcons, which is 

 the first family in the order Accipitres, although it is not one of the 

 actual family of the Falconidae, but of a sub-family, the Falconina;. 



Some of us have possibly seen a fairly large bird suspended 

 motionless, that is " hovering ", in the air. This is the Kestrel 

 Hawk seeking its prey, which is mainly mice. It will remain 

 apparently motionless for several minutes, and if it sees no mouse, 

 with a whirl of its wings it takes up another position, watching 

 the earth below while it hovers as before. Now it sees a likely 

 victim, drops down from its great height like a stone, the poor 

 little mouse is caught in its powerful talons, which close with a 

 terrible grip, and the mouse has breathed its last. 



All the great hawk family have wonderful sight, which is well 

 exemplified in this " kestrel ", for it sees its victim from such a 

 great height that were we placed in a similar position we should 

 probably be unable to distinguish a much greater animal than 

 a mouse in the grass and herbage below. It is said to catch 

 even beetles as they fly in the air ; and to snatch from water, with 

 its claws, a fish or a newt upon which it has swooped down from 

 its watching-place in the air. 



These birds of prey — hawks, owls, eagles, and vultures — all 

 possess powerful hooked beaks. Yet these beaks are seldom used 

 in the act of killing; the equally powerful claws are sufficient, and 

 are used for that purpose. 



