American Robin (Turdus migratorius)with youngsters by Raymond Barlow
“And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58)
Parents, wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to deal with dirty diapers during the early years of your child’s life? And think of the money you would save! Too bad your little angel isn’t more like a little robin.
Some birds, including the familiar robin, have it all figured out. You see, just seconds after a young robin has eaten, he eliminates waste into what can best be described as a white disposable diaper. All the parents have to do is pick it up and fly off with it, leaving the nest neat and clean.
This disposable diaper is called the fecal sac. It is made of thick, strong mucus that the parent can pick up and dispose of without puncturing it with its sharp beak. Robins will usually drop the sac twenty to fifty yards away before returning to the nest with another meal for its chicks. Once the young robin has matured enough to leave its nest, it no longer produces the fecal sac. Instead, its droppings are disposed of most often on your car’s windshield.
Now, just imagine what a robin’s nest would look like if their Creator hadn’t come up with this ingenious plan. Without this disposable diaper, the nest would quickly become unsuitable for life. So the next time you find an abandoned robin’s nest, take a peek inside. The only reason it’s so clean is because God provided the robin with a disposable diaper service!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, the more I learn about Your creation – even the robin and its young – the more I am filled with praise for You! Amen.
Notes:
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/spring/FecalSacs.html. “Disposable Diapers for Birds: The Scoop on Poop”, Journey North. Photo: Robin removing a fecal sac from its nest. © 2014, Steve Creek. Used with permission. http://stevecreek.com/a-robin-removing-fecal-sac/. ©Creation Moments 2015
Lee’s Addition:
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) Removing Fecal Sac ©WikiC
Here is a Bluebird flying off with a fecal sac. Many birds use this method of removing the “disposable diapers.” I didn’t have permission to show the other photo, but check out the link http://stevecreek.com/a-robin-removing-fecal-sac/ above. It has a great sequence of the Robin.
Also, check out this YouTube on the internet:
https://youtu.be/AXOrtpx5f7M&rel=0
Isn’t the Lord gracious to His Creation?
Oak Titmouse removing a fecal sac ©WikiC
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Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 
We see a lot of this during nesting season. Some birds have preferred spots away from the nest where they drop them. Our south yard Bluebird male liked putting them on top of an old clothesline post. Quite a collection he left. In earlier years, the Robins would leave them in one of my gardens. Some of our spots have so much gravel that I try to pick some out after a rain. I don’t know how many fecal sacs I picked up, just focusing on the white, not the shape.
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Thank you all for commenting. Isn’t God Amazing?
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And we thought disposable diapers were a modern invention! Hahah!
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Awh… Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to learning from you! Be blessed beyond measure.
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Thanks for sharing this very interesting provision God has made for these birds, it is quite fascinating!
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What a fascinating snippet of information, just goes to show God thought of it all.. Even waste disposal.. I’ve never even thought about it before but its truly amazing, thank you for sharing.
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