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I KNOW
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“I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.” (Psalms 50:11 NKJV)
Watching Birds at MacDill AFB Shore by Lee
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Author Archives: Lee
Lee’s One Word Monday – 5/23/16
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MEEKNESS
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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV)
Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) waiting for fish. The others were rushing the trainer. By Lee at National Aviary
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Sunday Inspiration – Emberizidae’s Buntings
Crested Bunting (Emberiza lathami) by Nikhil Devasar
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; (Song of Solomon 2:12 KJV)
Our new family we start today is the Emberizidae – Buntings, New World Sparrows and allies. Since there are 181 species in the family, today we will introduce you to the Emberiza genus. It contains 42 Buntings and one Yellowhammer. These are small sparrow-sized birds with conical bills that gives the power to crack open many kinds of seeds. Seeds being their favorite food.
Golden-breasted Bunting (Emberiza flaviventris) ©WikiC
There is one more bunting, the Lark Bunting, that follows next after the Emberiza genus. “Lark buntings are small songbirds, with a short, thick, bluish bill. There is a large patch of white on the wings and they have a relatively short tail with white tips at the end of the feathers. Breeding males have an all black body with a large white patch on the upper part of the wing. Non-breeding males and females look similar and are grayish brown with white stripes.” (Wikipedia)
Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) ©WikiC
There are many of these “Emberizidae buntings are boldly patterned on the face and head, or have colorful underparts.” (National Geographic Birds of the World,, p. 356) You will meet the other members of this family later. The Sparrows and others will be very familiar, many referred to as “little brown jobs”
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“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27 KJV)
“Triumphantly The Church Will Rise” ~ Faith Baptist Men’s Quintet
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:17-23 KJV)
Emberizidae – Buntings, New World Sparrows & Allies
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Can There Be Design Without A Designer – Creation Moments
Northern Barred Owl (Strix varia) Lowry Park Zoo by Dan 2014
CAN THERE BE DESIGN WITHOUT A DESIGNER?
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead…” (Romans 1:20a)
A new science called biomimetics is making news. In the past we have talked about how some of man’s designs are often similar to God’s which do the same job. However, in biomimetics, researchers actively seek to study the creation to learn of designs that will solve engineering problems.
Can There Be Design Without a Designer?We are all familiar with the story of how thistle seeds inspired Velcro. Engineers have used the design of the owl’s wing to make the structures that carry electrical current to trains. The result is a much quieter ride. The moth’s eyes’ ability not to reflect light helps make it harder to be spotted by birds. The same design has now been used to make a nonreflective film. The result is a film that can be used to help prevent windows from reflecting light. This film will soon be available commercially. Many dyes are toxic, yet many creatures manage to show off bright colors without using toxic substances. Materials engineers studied how the jewel beetle produces its color. The result is a film that seems to change color depending on the angle from which you view it.
No scientist can offer a rational explanation for how so many thoughtful and efficient designs could be generated in a mindless universe. These designs are fingerprints God left all over the creation so that man might seek Him out.
Prayer:
I thank and praise You, dear Father, for the excellence and wonder You have left as fingerprints in the creation. Amen.
Notes:
Nikkei Weekly, 2/22/10, p. 17, “Biomimetics yields life-inspired products.”
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Lee’s Five Word Friday – 5/20/16
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I OPENED MY MOUTH WIDE
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“I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.” (Psalms 119:131 NASB)
Australian Pipit (Anthus australis) ©WikiC chicks
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Lee’s Two Word Tuesday – 5/24/16
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OH MAGNIFY
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“Oh magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” (Psalms 34:3)
Malayan Peacock-Pheasant Feathers @WikiC
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Lee’s One Word Monday – 5/16/16
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FAITH
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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV)
Southern Yellowthroat (Geothlypis velata) ©WikiC
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Lee’s Seven Word Sunday – 5/15/16
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FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD
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“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19 KJV)
Copper-rumped Hummingbird (Amazilia tobaci) by Ian
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Sunday Inspiration – Icteridae Family III
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus) ©WikiC
All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. (1 Corinthians 15:39 KJV)
Today we finish up the Icteridae Family of New World blackbirds, New World orioles, the Bobolink, Meadowlarks, Grackles, Cowbirds, Oropendolas and Caciques, plus. Trust you enjoyed seeing the first two parts of the family. (Part I, Part II)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) ©WikiC
“All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.” (1 Corinthians 15:39 KJV)
The last 64 members of the family come from numerous Genus; the Nesopsar, Agelaius, Molothrus, Dives,Ptiloxena, Euphagus, Quiscalus, Hypopyrrhus, Lampropsar, Gymnomystax, Macroagelaius, Macroagelaius, Curaeus, Amblyramphus, Anumara, Gnorimopsar, Oreopsar, Agelaioides, Chrysomus, Xanthopsar and the Pseudoleistes. Some have only one species per genus. For many of you, the genus names mean little, but, if we mention Cowbirds, Grackles, Blackbirds, Baywings and Marshbirds, then you would recognize them that way.
Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (Psalms 124:6-8 KJV)
“Stay Close To Me” ~ ©Hyssongs
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Sunday Inspiration – Icteridae Family I
Sunday Inspiration – Icteridae Family II
Icteridae – Oropendolas, Orioles & Blackbirds Family
Icterid – Wikipedia
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I.O.C. Version 6.2 Update Complete
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus – now Leuconotopicus villosus) by Daves BirdingPix
“And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;” (Genesis 2:20a KJV)
Since I.O.C. Version 6.2 Has Come Out, the rest of the changes are all now complete. I finished all the “First Name-Last Name” indexes. Now you can find your bird by either part of its name. Since the English alphabet has 26 letters, that is 51 pages that had to be changed. There aren’t any birds, whose last name begins with “Z.” There are also 9 other Index pages to change. Then the Family page for the individual bird has to be updated. And, I am just a website. Those that do the actual work at I.O.C. are to be commended for the weeks of work that they do.
From the top of the main indexes:
These pages contain Lee’s Birds of the World, based on the IOC World Bird List 6.2 contains 10,637 extant species (and 154 extinct species) classified in 40 Orders, 239 Families (plus 2 Incertae Sedis) and 2289 Genera and 20,490 Subspecies. All the ORDERs and the Families are listed. Please enjoy looking around at the references to the numerous birds that the Lord has created.
(All the Indexes are now up to date and it makes it easier to find them with theTaxonomic List of the Birds. (The use of your “Search” or “Find” on your browser is very useful on long lists. “Control + F” is the shortcut for Find. I use it quite frequently.)
So, what did they do this time? They added 22 new species, changed the names of 9 birds, changed 4 genus names and the hardest to update was the Woodpecker-Picidae family. (Never thought I would get that one straight.)
White-eared Catbird (Ailuroedus buccoides) Houston Zoo by Lee
The new Species added are many times subspecies moving up to full genus status. The family with the most new additions is the Bowerbirds – Ptilonorhynchidae family. There were 3 Catbirds; the White-eared, Green, and Spotted Catbirds. Now, there are 10 Catbirds.
Ochre-breasted Catbird (Ailuroedus stonii) – NEW
White-eared Catbird (Ailuroedus buccoides) NA
Tan-capped Catbird (Ailuroedus geislerorum) – NEW
Green Catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris) NA
Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus) – NEW
Huon Catbird (Ailuroedus astigmaticus) – NEW
Black-capped Catbird (Ailuroedus melanocephalus)
Northern Catbird (Ailuroedus jobiensis) – NEW
Arfak Catbird (Ailuroedus arfakianus) – NEW
Black-eared Catbird (Ailuroedus melanotis) – this was a name change. It was the Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus melanotis)
Slender-billed Cuckoo-Dove now the Amboyna Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia amboinensis) ©WikiC
The Pigeons, Doves – Columbidae Family also had 8 new additions added. Before doing that, they changed the names of four more birds.
Amboyna Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia amboinensis) – was Slender-billed Cuckoo-Dove
Sultan’s Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia doreya) – NEW
Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia emiliana) NA
Enggano Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia cinnamomea) – NEW
Barusan Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia modiglianii) – NEW
Timor Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia magna) – was Bar-necked Cuckoo-Dove
Tanimbar Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia timorlaoensis) – NEW
Flores Sea Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia macassariensis) – NEW
Philippine Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia tenuirostris) NA
Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella) NA
Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia emiliana) ©WikiC
White-faced Cuckoo-Dove (Turacoena manadensis) – was the White-faced Dove
Sula Cuckoo-Dove (Turacoena sulaensis) – NEW
Black Cuckoo-Dove (Turacoena modesta) – was the Black Dove
They also added:
Sula Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus mangoliensis) – NEW
Kosrae Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus hernsheimi) – NEW
As for the Woodpecker family, it was a change of genus names and resuffling that was mostly involved. More on those later. I still want to double check that they are right on the page.
There were other changes, but enough for now. Those are the biggest changes. For once there were not deletions.
For those who are photographers, these changes can affect how the bird names are filed and given. Which means, names of photos have to be updated also. No one in the bird hobby or profession has ever “arrived.” There is always something to do, after the “shoot”.
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- Birds of the World
- Bowerbirds – Ptilonorhynchidae
- Pigeons, Doves – Columbidae
- Woodpeckers – Picidae
- Orders – Alphabetical
- Families – Alphabetical (Scientific)
- Families – Alphabetical (English)
- Families – Taxonomic (Scientific – English)
- Families – Taxonomic (English – Scientific)
- First Name of Bird – 6.2
- Last Name of Bird – 6.2
I.O.C. Version 6.2 Has Come Out
Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia) is now (Ardea intermedia) 6.2 Taxonomy Change
“For I am the LORD, I change not;…” (Malachi 3:6 KJV)
The I.O.C. released their latest version, and I have started updated the blog to reflect those changes. It takes time, but I have the “Last, First” name’s lists up and running. In the I. O. C. 6.1 Updated post, I mentioned that I would catch on the next version. It is the hardest one to get ready, so, I decided to do it first.
Streak-chested (Spectacled) Antpitta (Hylopezus perspicillatus) by Ian
As the name implies, the birds are listed as “Sparrow, House” or “Duck, Wood”. These lists are especially handy when trying to find birds that have the same last name, but are not in the same bird family. An example would be Antpitta. Almost all of them are in the Grallariidae family, yet two of them are over in the Gnateater-Conopophagidae family. The Streak-chested is in with most of the Antpittas in the Grallarridae and this Black-crowned and the Rufous-crowned Antpitta are down in the next family of Gnateaters.
Black-crowned Antpitta (Pittasoma michleri) ©WikiC
That is just one example. There are many other uses for the links. Lord willing, I plan on having the normal “First Name-Last Name” list up later this evening. Then I will make the actual species updates.
The IOC World Bird List 6.2 contains 10,637 extant species (and 154 extinct species) classified in 40 Orders, 239 Families (plus 2 Incertae Sedis) and 2289 Genera and 20,601 Subspecies. They added 22 new species, changed the names of 8 species and made 4 taxonomy changes. Those will be updated as soon as the indexes are changed. Stay Tuned!
Links to the Indexes:
Birds of the World – Species Index
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Grallarridae-Gnatcatchers Family
Gnateater-Conopophagidae Family
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Lee’s Five Word Friday – 5/13/16
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THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE
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“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(1 Corinthians 15:52)
YouTube ~ Aleksandr Voropaev
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Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 