223 



Wing ad. 190-203 mm., tail 127-152 mm. ; 

 head slaty, crown usually rufous ; above 

 rufous, more or less barred with black 

 (according to age) ; tail with subterminal 

 band of black and white tips ; outer 

 feathers more or less white, with one or 

 more extra partial bands of black on inner 

 webs (according to age) ; below buffish 

 white, the chest pale cinnamon fawn, more 

 or less finely spotted with black on sides 

 of body (according to age). [Specific dis- 

 tinctions : crown generally rufous ; chest 

 washed with rufous ; sides spotted.]^ 



t*322a. Cerchneis sparverius phalcena (Lesson), 

 Echo du Monde Savant, Ann. 12, June 19, 

 p. 1086 (1845). [San Bias and Acapulco, 

 Mexico.] 

 Western Kestrel. 



Slightly smaller ; wing ^ 190, tail 133 mm. ; 

 appreciably paler ; tail relatively longer 

 and paler ; wing-coverts less spotted ; 

 rufous crown patch appreciably larger ; 

 below with larger, roimder and more 

 numerous black spots ; chest cinnamon 

 fawn. 



Western 

 North America 

 from E. Brit. 

 Columbia and 

 W. Montana to 

 N.W. Mexico ; 

 in winter S. to 

 Mexico and 

 Guatemala. 



i Opinions differ greatly as to the specific and subspecific value of the American 

 Kestrels, but I think it desirable to give specific rank to the typical race of each 

 of the three groups of forms, and I have pointed out the principal characters on which 

 I base these species. Some ornithologists appear to me to have failed to grasp 

 the most important factors in determining the subspecies of these groups of forms, 

 and to have attached undue importance to tail markings and the spotting of under 

 parts, characters which vary with maturity and require to be considered with 

 great caution. The spotting below is common to the less mature birds of all three 

 groups, but disappears with age entirely in the isdbeUirms group and varies in the 

 other two, while the rufous on crown is likewise common to all three when immature, 

 but disappears in the isabellinus and cinnamominus groups, yet it is usually retained 

 in the sparverius group. The markings of the outer pair of tail feathers and the 

 width of the subterminal tail band are most unreUable characters in themselves, 

 as a series of old and young of both sexes in my collection from one district in 

 Venezuela shows. 



