The American Kestrel 



Distribution in California. — Resident. Of general occurrence throughout the 

 State, breeding from lowest "Sonoran" deserts up irregularly through Canadian zone, 

 where numbers dwindle rapidly. Numbers considerably augmented in winter both by 

 reason of retreat from the higher levels and by invasion from the northern interior. 



Authorities. — Vigors {Falco sparverius), Zool. Voy. "Blossom," 1839, p. 15 

 (Montery); Fisher, Hawks and Owls of the U. S., 1893, p. 115, pi. 17 (food); Rising, 

 Condor, vol. iii., 1901, p. 129 (nesting habits near Santa Monica); Grinnell, Univ. 

 Calif. Publ. Zool., vol. xii., 1914, p. 126 (Colorado Val.; crit. ; syst.); Wetmore, Condor, 

 vol. xviii., 1916, p. 112 (speed of flight). 



THE NAME "Sparrow" Hawk, though not alto 

 gether undeserved, is in its application to this bird mis 

 leading. The appellation distinctly be- 

 longs, rather, to a remote kinsman, the 

 so-called Sharp-shinned Hawk (Ac- 

 cipiter velox), who is the 

 bird -killer par excellence. 

 Moreover, the word Hawk 

 should never be applied to 

 a Falcon. Far better is the 

 Old World habit of individ- 

 ualizing the Falcons, and 

 of giving each a distinctive 

 name, such as Lanner, 

 Hobby, Merlin, etc. The 

 proper name for Cerchneis 

 s. sparverius is the American Kestrel ; or, for 

 local use, simply Kestrel. This, we know, is a 

 counsel of perfection, for the American people are 

 as little likely to correct an error in nomenclature, 

 once established, as they are to revise the Constitution. 



Kestrel, or Sparrow Hawk, then, this handsome 

 little Falcon is unquestionably the best known, as it is 

 the most abundant, bird of prey in the West. While it 

 shows a preference for open situations, its breeding 

 range extends from the Colorado Desert, at points be- 

 low the level of the sea, to the forests of Humboldt and 

 Del Norte counties, and to the limit of trees in the 

 Sierras. It is equally at home in the sahuaro patches 

 bordering upon the Colorado River, the oak groves of 

 San Luis Obispo, the rocky denies of San Diego County, 

 or the pines of Modoc. Commanding points of rock 

 are sure to be worn smooth by the clasp of many 



Taken in Oregon Photo by A. W. Anthony 



AMERICAN KESTREL 



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