THE KESTREL. 119 



Pipit, also Sky-Lark, Linnet, Twite, Yellow Bunting, Ring-Ouzel 

 and Thrush. More exceptionally Corn-, Reed- and Snow-Bunting, 

 Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Mistle-Thrush, Black- 

 bird, Redwing, Fieldfare, Tits, Pied Wagtail, Rock-Pipit, Starling, 

 Wren, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Swallow, Wheatear and 

 Cuckoo, while there are definite records of occasional captures of 

 such larger birds as Sandpiper, Dunlin, Sanderling, Snipe, Golden 

 Plover, Redshank, Turnstone and even incubating Lapwing. 

 Voles have been twice recorded, and insects taken include coleoptera 

 (dung-beetles, Ocypus olens), lepidoptera (fox-moth and oak-egger) 

 and dragon -flies. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Breeds in many parts 

 Wales, Pennine Range and spurs, moors of north-east Yorks., 

 Cheviots, and throughout Scotland and Ireland in suitable localities. 

 Said to have bred Exmoor (Somerset). In autumn descends to low 

 ground and in winter becomes fairly generally distributed. Passage 

 of Continental birds in autumn, chiefly observed northern and 

 western Isles Scotland and east coast of England and Scotland 

 (mid-Aug. to mid-Nov.) . Return passage spring not so well marked, 

 chiefly observed northern isles (early April to end May). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Nesting in Faeroes, Iceland, Scandinavia, 

 north Russia south to Baltic provinces, and in Siberia. On 

 migration to temperate parts of Europe and Asia, as far south 

 as north Africa (one juv. recorded Natal) and north-west India. 

 Paler forms represent this bird in the Khirgiz steppes and parts of 

 Asia and a darker one in N. America. 



FALCO TINNUNCULUS 



249. Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus L. — THE KESTREL. 



Falco TnsrNTnsrcuLTJS Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 90 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, Yarrell, 1, p. 78 ; Saunders, p. 355. 



Description (Plate 4). — Adult male. Winter and summer. — 

 Pore-head creamy ; crown, nape and hind-neck blue-grey, fre- 

 quently washed with rufous or rufous -buff varying individually, 

 each feather with a blackish shaft-streak varying in breadth 

 individually but usually fine ; mantle and scapulars pale chestnut- 

 red often with a mauvy-pink tinge especially when freshly moulted, 

 with arrowhead-shaped or drop-shaped subterminal black marks 

 varying in size and number ; upper -back as mantle but with only 

 very small black marks ; rest of back, rump and upper tail -coverts 

 blue-grey, feathers with rather darker shafts, and those of upper 

 tail-coverts with indistinct greyish tips : lores as fore-head cream, 

 which often extends over eye forming a more or less defined eye- 

 stripe ; ear -coverts ashy-grey, contrasting with darker but not 

 very clearly defined, blue-grey moustachial stripe ; chin and throat 

 pale cream to creamy-buff ; breast, flanks and belly pale buff 



