The common Kestrel is one 
of the most familiar of the 
British Hawks, being seen in 
almost every part of the country 
where a mouse, a lizard, or a beetle 
may be found. It may be easily 
distinguished while on the wing 
from any other hawk, by the pe- 
culiar manner in which it remains 
poised in air in a single spot, its 
head invariably pointing towards 
the wind, its tail spread, and its 
wings widely extended, almost as 
if it were a toy kite raised in the 
air by artificial means, and pre- 
served in the same spot by a 
string. While hanging thus sus- 
pended in the air, its head is bent 
downwards, and its keen eyes 
glance restlessly in every direc- 
tion, watching every blade of 
grass beneath its ken, and shoot- 
ing down with unerring certainty 
of aim upon any unhappy field- 
mouse that may be foolish enough 
to poke his red face out of his 
hole while the Kestrel is on the 
watch. The powers of the Kes- 
trel’s eye may be easily imagined 
by any one who has any experi- 
ence of the field-mouse and the 
KESTREL . — Tinnunculus Alauddrius. extreme difficulty of seeing the 
little creature while it is creeping 
among the grass straws. Its ruddy coat blends so well with the mould, and the 
grass blades bend so slightly under the pressure of its soft fur, that an unpractised 
eye would fail to detect the mouse even if its precise locality were pointed out. 
The number of field-mice consumed by this hawk is very great, for it is hardly 
possible to open the stomach of a Kestrel without finding the remains of one or 
more of these destructive little animals. On account of its mouse-loving propen- 
sities, the Kestrel is a most useful bird to the farmer. 
