This species lives largely on small birds and often hunts in couples.
[162]. Tinnunculus alaudaris: The Kestrel; the English “Windhover.” (F. 1265), (J. 17), (+III.)
Head, neck, and tail grey, back and wings brick-red. Lower parts cream-coloured spotted with brown. The red back makes the bird easy to identify, as does its method of hunting its quarry. It flies over the open country, and every now and then hovers on rapidly vibrating wings over some spot where it thinks it espies some lizard or other animal. If there is an animal there it drops quietly on it, otherwise it passes on and hovers elsewhere.
It is a winter visitor to the plains of India.
The Green Pigeons, 163-164
These beautiful birds are strictly arboreal. They go about in small companies, but so closely do they assimilate in colour to their leafy surroundings that it is difficult to make them out. They feed exclusively on fruit.
[163]. Crocopus phœnicopterus: The Bengal Green Pigeon. (F. 1271), (J. 772), (+III.)
A bright yellowish-green bird. Head, lower breast, and tail dove colour. Some lilac and a yellow bar on the wing. Legs orange-yellow.
Found in the Eastern Punjab, U. P., and Bengal. In the Punjab, U. P., and the whole of the peninsula of India is found the next species.
[164]. Crocopus chlorogaster: The Southern Green Pigeon. (F. 1272), (J. 773), (+II.)