Abstract
We studied foraging activities of a raptor species, kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in riparian open spaces along the Tone River, Gunma Prefecture, comparing the results between urban and suburban areas. The abundance of voles and small birds, which were major preys of kestrels, were also surveyed. The kestrels showed different feeding activity according to the surrounding land use. Most preys in the urban area were small birds while voles and small birds accounted for half-and-half in the suburban. They captured small birds mainly in outside of riparian open spaces in the both, which suggested that there was some advantage for the forage outside the riparian open spaces. The kestrels tended to capture preys other than small birds within the riparian zone in both the urban and suburban areas. Particularly, in the urban they preyed small birds, most of which were sparrows, mainly in residential area.
