The Kestrel Book

Preface.
Introduction.
Kestrels around the world.
Diet and prey selection.
Hunting and eating.
Food intake, energetics and body weight.
Moult.
Home range and territory.
Winter density.
Nesting sites.
Breeding density.
The breeding cycle: pair formation and courtship.
The breeding cycle: the egg stage.
The breeding cycle: the nestling stage.
The timing of breeding.
Breeding performance.
Movements and migrations.
Population turnover.
Age and sex ratios.
Mortality.
Population regulation.
Conclusions.
Appendix I: Measuring Kestrel diet.
Appendix II: Measuring the size of home ranges and territories.
Appendix III: Scientific names of vertebrates in the text.
Bibliography.
Tables 1-77.
Index.

A valuable monograph on one of the commonest European birds of prey, about which surprisingly little is generally known. Dr. Village's book is an inviting combination of readability and scholarship that reflects his dedication and enthusiasm for Falco tinnunculus. The author studied the Kestrel for several years in the Scottish hill country and then in two areas of eastern England, but his book also incorporates much valuable observation and data from elsewhere in Europe. Illustrated by Keith Brockie, 24 x 16 cm, maps, diagrams, and drawings