. A history of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . nd there is a broad black bar both on the upper part andunder sides; the tips are white : the legs are yellow, andthe claws black. The Kestrel is widely diffused throughout Europe, andis found in the more temperate parts of North America :it is a handsome bird ; its sight is acute, and its flighteasy and graceful: it breeds in the hollows of trees, andin the holes of rocks, towers, and ruined buildings ; itlays four or five eggs, of a pale reddish colour : its foodconsists of small birds, field mice, and reptiles: after ithas secure
. A history of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . nd there is a broad black bar both on the upper part andunder sides; the tips are white : the legs are yellow, andthe claws black. The Kestrel is widely diffused throughout Europe, andis found in the more temperate parts of North America :it is a handsome bird ; its sight is acute, and its flighteasy and graceful: it breeds in the hollows of trees, andin the holes of rocks, towers, and ruined buildings ; itlays four or five eggs, of a pale reddish colour : its foodconsists of small birds, field mice, and reptiles: after ithas secured its prey, it plucks the feathers very dexte-rously from the birds, but swallows the mice entire, anddischarges the hair, in the form of round balls, from its bird is frequently seen hovering in the air, and fan-ning with its wings by a gentle motion, or wheelingslowly round, at the same time watching for its prey, onwhich it shoots like an arrow. It was formerly used inGreat Britain for catching small birds and youngPartridges. BRITISH BIRDS. 77. THE FEMALE KESTREL. This beautiful bird is distinguished from every otherHawk by its variegated plumage : its bill is blue ; cereand feet yellow j eyes dark coloured, surrounded with ayellow skin; its head is rust coloured, streaked withblack ; behind each eye there is a light spot; the backand wing coverts are elegantly marked with numerousundulated bars of black; the breast, belly, and thighs areof a pale reddish colour, with dusky streaks pointingdownwards ; vent plain ; the tail is marked by a prettybroad black bar near the end ; a number of smaller ones,of the same colour, occupy the remaining part; the tipis pale.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1800, bookidhistoryo, booksubjectbirds
