Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus) by Nikhil Devasar
I have updated several more pages for the species:
On the slides, a “©” copyright symbol indicates a photo from the web and a “by” indicates one of the photographers with links on our sidebar. Please visit their sight to see many more fantastic shots.
As I obtain more photos of the missing species they will be added.
Seychelles Black Parrot is actually Lesser Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis nigra) by Bob-Nan
As I have been working, behind the scenes to obtain photos for the Birds of the World pages, it has been a challenge to match the birds up with their new names. Apparently the I.O.C. (International Ornithological Congress) has a goal to standardize the English names of birds. That is a good thing, but it has problems.
Fantastic photographers (see sidebar-Photographers) have given their permission to use their photos, but the titles they use, don’t always coincide with the new names. So the progress has been slow trying to match the two together. It is not their fault, but changes just keep occurring. When all is said and done, when you link to a photo of theirs and the name is not the same as you clicked, not to worry. I have done my best to match them up properly. Many also give the Scientific name which is a great aid. I have had to “Google” many of the old names to try to come up with the correct new one.
An article puts all of the Naming in good perspective. “New Standard Bird Names – do we need them?” by Sumit K. Sen, from the Birds of India website does that. Here is just one his thoughts:
Bird renaming it seems is not a task, but a passion. Year after year birds are renamed by whoever has the ability to get anything printed. Some birds are particularly at risk and go through name changes as fast as their numbers decline. The only relief for them may be extinction – but that may still not be ‘name-change’ relief for us. We may suddenly be told that it was not a yuhina that went extinct – but was an epornis all the time! I am still waiting for someone to propose that the Dodo is entirely inappropriate (especially as there are some suggestions that the etymology of the word ‘dodo’ may have derogatory connotations associated with it) and the bird should certainly be called a ‘Mauritius Flightless Pigeon’ and we will soon learn that ‘as dead as a Mauritius Flightless’ is more appropriate usage over ‘as dead as a dodo’. It is coming, believe me!
Madagascar Bee-eater is the Olive Bee-eater (Merops superciliosus) by Bob-Nan
You will find his comments interesting. In the mean time, the birds have been merrily doing what God told them to do, and that is reproduce and fill the earth. Luckily, they do not wear name tags that have to be replaced every so often to keep up with their new names.
Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. (Genesis 8:17 NKJV)
Costa’s Hummingbird on Nest (Calypte costae) by Bob-Nan
While going through some of the photos of the latest photographers that gave permission to use their photos, I kept seeing so many of the birds in the trees and on branches. With not to much difficulty, I found quite a few verses that tell of the birds in the branches or the trees.
The trees and branches are referred to as:
1.) A home for the birds, a place to sing and where the birds make their nests.
(10-12) He sends the springs into the valleys; They flow among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. (17)Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees.(Psalms 104:10-12,17 NKJV)
Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) by Bob-Nan2
2.) A place where birds of every sort dwell and in its shadow.
On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. (Ezekiel 17:23 NKJV)
3.) They make their nests in its boughs.
(6) All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; And in its shadow all great nations made their home.
(13) On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, And all the beasts of the field will come to its branches– (Ezekiel 31:6,13 NKJV)
Red Fody (Foudia madagascariensis) by Bob-Nan
4.) The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches then had to leave when it was chopped down.
Its leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it. “I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches. Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, Bound with a band of iron and bronze, In the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts On the grass of the earth. (Daniel 4:12-15 NKJV)
White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Africaddict
5.) The branches were their home.
whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home–(Daniel 4:21 NKJV)
6.) Warnings were given about the nest with young and the mother bird.
If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days. (Deuteronomy 22:6-7 NKJV)
Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) by Africaddict
7.) Most have heard of the parable of the mustard seed and again the birds find a place for their nest and shade.
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32 NKJV)
Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32 NKJV)
Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” (Luke 13:18-19 NKJV)
8.) All of the above verses were used as illustrations of some important point. But the verses below are of great promise to those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ (the true vine). We know that if we abide in Him by not only taking Him as our Savior, but then living for Him, that He will meet our needs and gives great joy. What a promise!
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:1-11 NKJV)
If you have questions about accepting the Lord as Saviour, see:
Wordless Birds or e-mail me at – Lee@Leesbird.com
Fairy Tern (Sternula nereis) by Bob & Nan
Today I received the permission to use the photos from two sets of great photographers.
Bob and Nan have their gallery at: http://bob-nan.smugmug.com/
They have traveled quite extensively, at least by their photo gallery. They have galleries for Serengeti; South Georgia; Brooks Fall – Alaska; Baja, California; Tanzania; Greenland and Canada; Africa; Antarctica, plus other places. There are many photos to check out on their site.
Carmine BeeEater (Merops nubicus or nubicoides) by Marc at Africaddict
Also, Marc Mol from Sydney, Australia has given permission to use his photos also. He has the Africaddict Gallery at http://africaddict.smugmug.com/
Marc gets around a lot also with galleries for: Sydney; Florida & Everglades; Zambia; Maldives; Italy; Dunk Island, Australia; Cairns; Africa Overland; South America Overland, plus other places.
Their photos will be a great help with the Birds of the World pages here. Thank you so much, Bob & Nan and Marc.
I trust these fine photographers, plus the one’s who have already given permission, will keep up the great photos. With 10,340 birds out there waiting to have their pictures taken, all the these photographers will be busy.
You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. (Psalms 104:10-12 ESV)
Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea) by Ian's Birdway
Jacanas or Jaçana are in the Jacanidae family of the CHARADRIIFORMES order. Their family is unique in that the Lord especially adapted them to feed among lily pads of the shallow freshwater wetlands throughout the tropical zone. They have long toes and claws that help distribute their weight over the lily pads. As they walk around on the pads, they look like they are “walking on water.” “They are found around the world, with two in the New World (Northern and Wattled), two in Africa (Africa and Lesser), the Madagascar in Madagascar, two in Asia (Pheasant-tailed and Bronze Winged) and the Comb-crested in Australasia. They are sometimes known as a “lily-trotter” or “Jesus birds.”
The females are larger that the males and the males take responsibility of the incubation of the eggs. Some of the Jacana females mate with up to 4 males and then leave them to sit on the eggs. She does help in the feeding of the newbies.
Their diets consist mainly of insects, other invertebrates and seeds picked from the floating vegetation or the water’s surface. Most do not migrate except the Pheasant-tailed Jacana which travels from the north of its range into peninsular India and southeast Asia.
I was surprised that the Purple Gallinule was not in the same Order, but they are in the GRUIFORMES order, not the CHARADRIIFORMES order. We watch the Purple Gallinules often here and they also have big feet like the Jacana’s.
Check out A Noisy, Bird-Brained Harem from Creation Moments. It tells how one of the four males tries to get attention for himself.
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. (Psalms 102:25 KJV)
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Wood Stork by Lee
Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons; And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush Observe the time of their migration; But My people do not know The ordinance of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7 NASB)
That time of the year is approaching and for some birds, it has already started. What? Migration. The birds have been busy all spring and summer having babies, feeding them, raising them, training them, and now it is time to go elsewhere. That is, if they are the kind of bird that migrates. Why do the migrate? Most because of food sources or to stay warm. The hardy “residents” will stay behind and “hold down the fort” so to say.
God has put the instinct in them when they were created to know to “migrate.” Depending on which version of the Bible your read, the stork:
And the dove and swallow and crane (depending on version):
For those of us down here in Florida, we get excited because we will finally get to observe some birds as they pass by or as they get here for the winter “vacation.”
Please check out these previous articles about migration. I think you will find them very interesting:
Interesting Things – Amazing Bird Migration
Interesting – Migration and Mechanics of Flight
Pacific Golden Plover
Birds of the Bible – Hawk Migration
A Lesson from the Stork
Too Much Knowledge?
Bird Migration Mistakes – released today
Not a bird, but:
Interesting Things – Dragonflies II
Updated Below: 10-15-09
Migrating Storks from Europe circling the hot air thermals over the Sinai to gain altitude before crossing the Red Sea and continuing on their migration into Africa by dell09875
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For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (Rom 8:18-22 NASB)
Confused Birds – http://www.creationmoments.net/radio/listen.php?t=476
“Birds that make mistakes in navigation are called vagrants.”
Copyright © 2009 Creation Moments • All Rights Reserved
Buddy Davis’ Woodpecker Song about Creation of the Woodpecker, from AiG
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Galapagos: Showcase for Creation, by John D. Morris, Ph.D.* is in this month’s Acts and Facts Magazine from Institute For Creation Research.
Here are a few excerpt from the article:
“The project’s leading question was: Is Galapagos a living laboratory for evolution or a showcase for creation?”
Flightless Cormorant on Galapogos
“Darwin’s finches, “booby” birds, flightless cormorants, flamingos, frigate birds, etc.,”
“Evolutionists trumpet the several Galapagos finch “species” as arising by adaptation from one species. Creationists agree, but this did not happen through evolution. Normally the finch types segregate by lifestyle according to their beak shape, but in times of stress they interbreed and combine. No evolution here. The flightless cormorants are recognizably related to other species of cormorant on other continents, but these have lost the use of their wings. …”
(See Cormorant Family from Bird Families of the World to see the similarities)
For the whole article CLICK HERE.
Darwin’s FinchesEvidence supporting rapid post-Flood adaptation, by Carl Wieland, is an interesting article in the Creation Magazine.
Darwin’s Finches on Creation Wiki has a good article and photos of some of the finches.
Tufted Coquette (Lophornis ornatus) by Birdway
Lee’s Birds of the World, is based on the I.O.C., 2.1 version of 2009. It lists 39 Orders, 224 Families, and 10,340 individual Species. This is new and still being developed. All the ORDERs and the Families are listed. More indexes, photos, links, and Scriptures are still being added. These pages are under the Birds-World Tab above. Please enjoy looking around at the references to the numerous birds that the Lord has created. It appears by the numbers of the birds that they have done as the verses below declare.
So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. (Genesis 1:21-22 NKJV)
All photographs have been used with the permission of the photographers listed or are in the public domain. Please honor their copyrights.
Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) by Ian
I have been busy working on the Birds of the World pages for their Orders and Families. I think I have them all done at least as far as I know. They are linked together and I hope to have some better Indexes and then start putting in some more pictures and information to go with each. Considering that there are over 10,300 birds, I may be awhile. Actually, the 224 bird families are the most important. So, that will be the starting place.
While doing all this, I have been amazed at the English names of the birds. I will be forthcoming in a blog about them. I want to find out more. For now, here are a just few of interest:
Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus) by Ian
See what happens when you play around with too much data. The Bible says that Adam named all the critters, and there probably was not 10,000+ bird species at that time, but it would have been interesting to see what the first birds were called. It would also be interesting just to know how many “kinds” there were.
“Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19 NKJV)
Great-billed Heron (Ardea sumatrana) by Ian
I just completed the first Birds of the World Family page. Well, at least as far as I can find photos for it. I now only have 223 more family pages to go.
Check it out at Family – Ardeidae It is part of the PELECANIFORMES Order. At least according to the latest IOC 2.1 version. I hope you enjoy the photos of the different Bitterns, Egrets and Herons.
Update: 08/09/09
Finished the Family – Struthionidae (Ostriches) page today. It is in the Order – STRUTHIONIFORMES Now at 2 down and 222 to go. Plus 37 partial ones – no photos yet.
Updated: 08/13/09
I finished all 229 (I found some birds that had flown from my original lists) Bird Family pages as far as the list of each species within the families. Now I am going to make some indexes to help find the different birds in either taxonomic or alphabetical order. Then I will be adding various photos to each family.
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 