KESTREL. 9 
KESTREL. 
Fatco tTinnuncuuus, Linn. 
Pl. IIL, figs. 3,4; and Pl. XXXVIL,, fig. 3. 
Geogr. distr.—Entire Palearctic Region; wintering in India and 
Africa : resident in Great Britain. 
Food.—Insects, reptiles, small birds, mice, and shrews. 
Nest.—Frequently the deserted nest of a Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw or 
Raven; but frequently in holes: it is formed of sticks and lined with 
wool or other soft materials, as grass, moss, &c. 
Position of nest.—In trees, or holes in trees, ruins, belfries, towers 
of churches, or under eaves of old buildings. 
Number of eggs.—4-5. 
Time of nidrfication.—V. 
I have in my collection two eggs of this species which 
were laid by a bird formerly in the possession of my friend 
Dr. Grayling, of Sittingbourne, in Kent; he writes to me 
respecting them (Oct. 30th, 1877) as follows :— 
“T wish I could do justice to the memory of the two 
Kestrels: these birds, male and female, were brought to 
me, with three others, funny little nestlings! For a time 
they became very domesticated, but occasionally wandered 
into neighbours’ premises, requiring many shillings for their 
recovery ; eventually I let them go. For a few days they 
hovered over their old haunts, came to be fed, and finally 
took to the woods, and I hope are still in existence. 
“The female laid several eggs, two of which you have: we 
taught the birds to sit on the finger (with gloves, mind you). 
Now and then, when not regularly fed, they would pounce 
down on a flock of Sparrows, but usually mice and small 
Linnets constituted their daily meal. 
‘Waterton places this bird in his true relation to the 
interests of the farmer, ‘ The Winhover is a mice-destroying 
Falcon.’”’ 
Cases have been recorded of the Kestrel killing and 
devouring its mate, but such instances are probably not 
frequent. In ‘The Zoologist,’ vol. iii, p. 936, F. Holme 
states that five males were successively trapped from the 
same nest, proving that there is always a reserve of 
unpaired birds to supply deficiencies caused by death: the 
unfaithful partners probably had this fact under considera- 
tion when enjoying their cannibalistic feast. 
