Birds of Guernsey (1879) - And the Neighbouring Islands: Alderney, Sark, Jethou, Herm; Being a Small Contribution to the Ornitholony of the Channel Islands by Cecil Smith
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in any part of the British Islands, and certainly not so far south as
the Channel Islands. This latter, indeed, is an extremely southern latitude for either the Greenland or Iceland Falcon, the next being in Cornwall, from which county both species have been recorded by Mr. Rodd. Neither species, however, is recorded as having occurred in any of the neighbouring parts of France. 4. ICELAND FALCON. _Falco islandus_, Gmelin.--An Iceland Falcon was killed on the little Island of Herm on the 11th of April, 1876, where it had been seen about for some time, by the gamekeeper. It had another similar bird in company with it, and probably the pair were living very well upon the game-birds which had been imported and preserved in that island, as the keeper saw them kill more than one Pheasant before he shot this bird. The other fortunately escaped. The bird which was killed is now in my possession, and is a fully adult Iceland Falcon, and Mr. Couch, the bird-stuffer who skinned it, informed me a male by dissection. Though to a certain extent I have profited by it, so far as to have the only Channel Island example of the Iceland Falcon in my possession, I cannot help regretting that this bird was killed by the keeper, as it seems to me not impossible that the two birds being together in the island so late as the 11th of April, and certainly one, probably both, being adult, and there being plenty of food for them, might, if unmolested, have bred in the island. Perhaps, however, this is too much to have expected so far from their proper home. It would, however, have been interesting to know how late the birds would have remained before returning to their northern home; but the breeding-season for the Pheasants was beginning, and this was enough for the keeper, as he had actually seen two or three Pheasants--some hens--killed before he shot the Falcon. As these Falcons can only be |
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