▁disturb ance . ▁ ▁Food ▁and ▁for aging ▁methods ▁The ▁di et ▁consists ▁mainly ▁of ▁small ▁rod ents , ▁small ▁birds , ▁bird ▁eggs , ▁re pt iles ▁( including ▁sn akes ) ▁and ▁large ▁insect s ▁( main ly ▁Orth optera , ▁which ▁are ▁numer ically ▁the ▁most ▁common ). ▁ ▁As ▁this ▁bird ▁has ▁a ▁wide ▁distribution , ▁it ▁will ▁take ▁whatever ▁pre y ▁is ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁where ▁it ▁n ests ; ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁range ▁it ▁will ▁mainly ▁take ▁ground ▁squ ir rel s ▁and ▁rabb its , ▁whereas ▁in ▁southern ▁Europe , ▁it ▁mostly ▁takes ▁small ▁re pt iles ▁and ▁large ▁insect s . ▁In ▁areas ▁where ▁the ▁food ▁supply ▁is ▁composed ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁of ▁rod ents , ▁the ▁bre eding ▁success ▁depends ▁greatly ▁on ▁the ▁cy clic ▁fl uct u ations ▁of ▁vo le ▁populations . ▁At ▁times ▁they ▁reg urg itate . ▁ ▁Pre y ▁is ▁caught ▁while ▁flying ▁along ▁fixed ▁routes ▁at ▁low ▁height s ▁and ▁constant ▁low ▁spe eds ▁( c . ▁), ▁as ▁is ▁typical ▁of ▁har riers . ▁The ▁flight ▁is ▁considered ▁l ighter ▁and ▁more ▁de xter ous ▁than ▁other ▁har riers ▁en abling ▁it ▁to ▁take ▁more ▁ag ile ▁pre y . ▁When ▁possible ▁it ▁often ▁follows ▁the ▁edges ▁of ▁various ▁veget ation ▁to ▁catch ▁its ▁pre y ▁by ▁surprise . ▁This ▁is ▁taken ▁after ▁a ▁short ▁sto op , ▁though ▁fast ▁running ▁animals ▁and ▁flying ▁birds ▁can ▁be ▁ch ased ▁over ▁a ▁short ▁distance . ▁▁▁ ▁During