BIRDS OF PREY.
Birds of prey are so called from feeding only on animals: they have a hooked beak, strong feet, and very sharp claws.
Some birds of this group are used in falconry, so called because several species of falcon are employed in the sport: others, as the owls, are used to attract small birds to the barn-floor trap, and rooks to the decoy-hut. There seems little probability that bird-fanciers should wish to keep such birds as these in the house. Two species, however, appear to merit distinction, the kestril and the little owl.
THE KESTRIL.
Falco Tinnunculus, Linnæus; La Cresserelle, Buffon; Der Thurmfalke, Bechstein.
Its size is that of a turtle-dove, its length fourteen inches, including the tail, which measures six, and two-thirds of which is covered by the folded wings. The wax, the irides, and feet are yellow. In general this is a handsome bird; but the male, as in all birds of prey, differs from the female, not less in the body being a third smaller than in the colours of his plumage. The top of the head is of a fine light grey, the back and the lesser wing coverts are of a red brick colour spotted with black; the belly is reddish, and streaked with black; the feathers of the tail dark brown spotted with white, ending in a broad black border.
The back and wings of the female are of a rust red crossed with many black lines; the head is of a light reddish brown streaked with black; the tail of the same colour, and terminated, like that of the male, with a broad black border; the extremity, however, of each is pale[13].
Habitation.—In its wild state the kestril falcon may be found throughout Europe, preferring mountainous places, where there are walls of rocks or ruined castles. It is a bird of passage, which departs in October with the larks, and may then be seen hovering over them, or pouncing at mice; it returns in the following March.