Yesterday’s My Mom And Me – Email blog inspired me to write a new article for the Birds of the Bible For Kids. It is called:”
Bible Birds – Mother Birds and Their Young.
Please check it out. It is geared for a younger audience.
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Category Archives: Birds of the Bible
Birds of the Bible – Details
Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) by Dan
Currently, I am reading through Leviticus. When I cam to the Tabernacle, my first thoughts were, “Here we go again” with all the details about how to make it. The LORD gave Moses the details and then he shared those details with all the workers and skilled craftsmen as to how it was supposed to be prepared. It includes down to the number of rings to hold the curtains, like 50 on this side and 50 on that side, etc. The colors Gold, Blue, Purple and Scarlet are constantly mentioned.
Details, details, details. I stopped grumbling when I thought about how the LORD in His creative acts was so, “detailed.” Much of the Bible gives us details about God, the Lord, and the Holy Spirit.It is one of God’s attributes that He is so omnipotent, omniscient, understanding, etc. because He does know all the “details.”
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (Romans 1:20 NKJV)
We are told to look around us to observe creation and we can see His attributes. Think of just the birds. Are they not each different and made with so much detail. So, here is my attempt to share with you some of the neatly “detailed” birds in a slideshow. My first thoughts were of the Mandarin Duck with its lines and marks. Looks like a paintbrush was used by the Hand of our Creator. I have been trying to think of a bird that is gold, blue, purple and scarlet, but so far, it allude me. (The Mandarin Duck is close)
This slideshow is only featuring the colors and feather designs, but how about all the bills, feet, and other aspects of the birds? Enjoy these beautiful birds. (Thanks to all those who took the photos also.)
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(I hardly got to the Passerines. Sorry)
See:
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Birds of the Bible – Coat of Many Colors II
Sunset Lorikeet (Trichoglossus forsteni) ©WikiC
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. (Genesis 37:3 KJV)
After I finished the Birds of the World – Kingfishers, Australasian Warblers, White-Eyes and Doves article last week, I decided to finish up the Psittacidae – Parrots Family. I still needed 150 photos or drawings to complete the 363 species needed. Well, last night, it was finished and at 100% for images.
Looking at all those Parrots and others in the family, they definitely have “Coats of Many Colors” also. Just wanted to share their beautifully created plumage also. Most of us are familiar with parrots and parakeets. Many have them as pets or have seen them in the wild. So you are sort of familiar with them, but I am sure as you view the slideshow, you will see many that you haven’t seen before.
I also want to share the only birds I had personally. My preference is that the birds roam free, or are being kept from extinction in zoos or other similar situation. There is nothing wrong with having a pet, but I am just stating my preference. We ended up with two Monk Parakeets when we lived in south Florida. They are wild down there (up here also), but one day the neighbor boys came to my door and told me about an injured Monk Parakeet. A teenager had shot it out of a tree and the smaller boys found it. They said, “You love birds and you will know what to do.” That began the adventure with my bird. I had never kept a bird in my life, but knew that my veterinarian was also a bird vet. Long story short, I ended up with a one-winged bird that could never go back to the wild. My “free bird” ended up costing over $200 for vet bills. (This was over 20 years ago). Dan wanted to call it “One-armed Bandit” because it cost me so much, but I took the “t” off of “Bandit” and it became “Bandi.” I think it was a “she” because she was so sweet.
Well a year later, my friend bought two Monks and told me there was one more, but it had a deformed leg. Another long story short, I bought “Hoppy” for $25 and ended up spending another $200 getting a broken leg repaired. It was an amazing surgery the vet performed. “Hoppy” had to be a male, because he could be mischievous at times, but he learned to talk and was quite enjoyable (most of the time). The picture shows “Hoppy” with the bandage in front and “Bandi” in the background.
Hoppy in front, Bandi in back – Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
The only two verses in Scripture, that I know of, that would apply to this would be:
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: (James 3:7 KJV)
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. (Jeremiah 5:27 KJV)
Back to the Coats of Many Colors, below is a slideshow showing some of our beautiful and personable members of the Psittacidae – Parrots Family.
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See Also:
Psittacidae – Parrots Family
Birds of the Bible – Coat of Many Colors I
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Birds of the Bible – Coat of Many Colors
Many-colored Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus perousii) ©WikiC
While working on the Columbidae – Pigeons, Doves Family, I was enjoying the Fruit Doves and their beautiful colors. Of course the verse about Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors kept crossing my mind. Then I actually found the Many-colored Fruit Dove.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. (Genesis 37:3 KJV)
The Fruit Doves belong to the Ptilinopus genus. There are 53 Fruit Doves at present (I.O.C. 3.3) They eat fruit mostly and they may help enhance their colours, at least that is one opinion. “These small- to medium-sized doves generally have short, fan-shaped tails, and are remarkable for their colorful and often glossy plumage, as evidenced in the aptly named Orange Fruit Dove, Flame-breasted Fruit Dove, and Pink-headed Fruit Dove. Males and females of many fruit dove species look very different. For example, the female Many-coloured Fruit Dove shares the male’s crimson crown and deep pink undertail feathers, but is otherwise green, whereas the male has a crimson on the upper back and has areas of yellow, olive, cinnamon, and grey.
Wompoo Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus) by Dan at National Aviary
This is a large genus, most diverse in and around the island of New Guinea, in the Philippines, and in the biogeographical region of Wallacea. Some species have ranges as far west as the Sunda Islands, others north to Taiwan, south to Australia, and east into Polynesia.
Fruit doves, as their name implies, eat fruit — ficus is especially important — and live in various kinds of forest or woodland. Some species are restricted to primary forest, such as lowland rainforest, montane forest, or monsoon forest, while others prefer secondary forest or disturbed areas. Some species specialize in particular habitats, from lowland coastal forest to the cloud forest or moss forest of high altitudes. Some species of fruit doves are only found in habitats dominated by particular plants, such as mangrove, eucalyptus, or pandanus. Only a few species can commonly be seen around human habitation, these include the Knob-billed Fruit Dove, Makatea Fruit Dove, and Black-naped Fruit Dove, which are known to visit gardens and such.
Superb Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus superbus) by Ian
Much is still to be learned about fruit doves. Many species are shy and difficult to observe in their natural habitat. For example, there are several species in the Philippines, and for most of them, little or nothing is known of their breeding or nesting behavior.” (Wikipedia with editing)
We have had the privilege of seeing several of the Fruit Doves at the Zoos we have visited. They are so beautiful and colorful. Isn’t the Lord great in His providing them the ability to show off all their “coats of many colors?” I trust you will enjoy looking at the slideshow below and seeing them. These are the ones that I have permission to show. I am putting the whole list of them from the Family pages so that you can view the others.
Rose-crowned Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus regina) by Ian
Divers colours is only associated with one bird in Scripture and that is with an eagle:
And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: (Ezekiel 17:3 KJV)
“Divers colours” is used 6 times in the King James Version, others translate that phrase as; various colors, beautiful feathers, long, colorful feathers , full of varicolored feathers, of variety, feathers covered with spots, rich in plumage of many colors, full of plumage of embroidery, having different colors to him, multi-colored plumage, or in full plumage and bright colors.
I think those descriptions can well describe our feather colors the Creator placed on these Fruit Doves. Doves are mentioned many times in the Bible. See the Birds of the Bible – Dove and Pigeon page.
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Columbidae – Pigeons, Doves Family
Birds of the Bible – Dove and Pigeon
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P.S. I’ll be adding more of our as I find them.
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Birds of the Bible – Goldfinches Are On The Way
Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons. The turtledove, swallow, and crane are aware of their migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7 HCSB)
We have been having American Goldfinches at the feeders for the last few weeks. Don’t see them often, so was enjoying their presence. They kept building in numbers from 6 at first, then 12 about a week ago, then Easter Sunday there were at least 20 of them. It even motivated me to wash the window and take out the screen on Monday to get better photos of them.
Yesterday morning, Wednesday, I checked out the window to see how many there were now. Not a one! So throughout the morning I kept checking, NONE! When we went out, there was no singing in the trees that we have been hearing lately. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed, but it didn’t take long to figure out where they were. GONE!!!
Keep your eyes open up north, the Goldfinches are on the way. This is a spring occurrence down here. The birds fold up their lounge chairs, pack the bellies full of my sunflower seed and head back home. They have territories to claim, nest to build, broods to raise and give you now the pleasure of viewing them and listening to their songs. ENJOY!
It’s your turn to enjoy the Lord’s beautiful American Goldfinches as they migrate up to you. Treat them nice and when fall comes, send them back, please.
Birds of the Bible – Wing Survey
Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) Left Wing by Lee at Lowry Park Zoo
While reading in Exodus 25 this week, I noticed that the plan for the Ark is written out in quite specific details. The plans for the mercy seat was to be covered by the outstretched wings of the cherubims of gold.
And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. (Exodus 25:20 KJV)
I wondered if I had written much about “wings”, so I checked and found only three articles, so far:
I am curious about what can be found, so, let’s see what we can find. Of course my e-Sword is fired up and ready for the searching. Searching first with just “wing”, only 6 verses show up. I Kings 6:24, 6:27; 2 Chronicles 3:11-2 all refer to the wing of the cherub. Isaiah 10:14 actually mentions a bird having its eggs taken and not moving its wing, opening its mouth or peeping. It is used as an illustration.
And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. (Isaiah 10:14 KJV)
Ezekiel 17:23 is the verse used in Fowl (Birds) of Every Wing.
Searching again with “wings” this time shows 64 verses (KJV). Again the cherubims are mentioned in Exodus 25:20, 37:9; I Kings 6:26, 8:6, 8:7; 1 Chronicles 28:18; 2 Chronicles 3:11, 3:13, 5:7-8. Cherubim and serephim wings are again mentioned later in the prophecies of Isaiah (Isa 6:2, 8:8, 18:1, and 40:31), Ezekiel (Exe 1:6-11, 1:23-25, 3:13, 10:5-21, 11:22) and Daniel. Ezekiel 17:3 & 7 mention “A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers” and “another great eagle with great wings and many feathers” Daniel 7:4 and 6 mention “eagle’s wings” and “wings of a fowl”
Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax) ©WikiC
Eagles’ wings are mentioned several more times:
Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles‘ wings, and brought you unto myself. (Exodus 19:4 KJV)
As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: (Deuteronomy 32:11 KJV)
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:5 KJV)
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 KJV)
For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab. (Jeremiah 48:40 KJV)
Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. (Jeremiah 49:22 KJV)
Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) by Nikhil Devasar
Of course other birds are named such as:
Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich? (Job 39:13 KJV)
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? (Job 39:26 KJV)
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. (Psalms 55:6 KJV)
Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. (Psalms 68:13 KJV)
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. (Zechariah 5:9 KJV)
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37 KJV)
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! (Luke 13:34 KJV)
Baby Chick Peeping Out From Under His Mom’s Wing – ©©
Other references to wings:
- wings of the wind – 2 Samuel 22:11
- under whose wings thou art come to trust. – Ruth 2:12
- hide me under the shadow of thy wings – Psalm 17:8
- fly upon the wings of the wind – Psalm 18:10
- trust under the shadow of thy wings. – Psalm 36:7
- in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge – Psalm 57:1
- rust in the covert of thy wings – Psalm 61:4
- in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice – Psalm 63:7
- He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust – Psalm 91:4
- the wings of the wind – Psalm 104:3
- If I take the wings of the morning – Psalm 139:9
- for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. – Ecclesiastes 10:20
- stretching out of his wings – Isaiah 8:8
- shadowing with wings – Isaiah 18:1
- Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away – Jeremiah 48:9
- The wind hath bound her up in her wings – Hosea 4:19
- healing in his wings – Malachi 4:2
That is an interesting survey of the verses with wing or wings in them. Now I will have to get busy and use this information in some future articles. There are definitely some trends that can be seen. Do you see them? Shadow, wind, healing and trust, just to name a few.
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Birds of the Bible – Name Study ~ Ossifrage
Black Vulture by Birdway (Ian)
And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, (Leviticus 11:13 KJV)
We have looked into this bird before in Birds of the Bible – Ossifrage and the Birds of the Bible Ossifrage Page. Since we have been looking at the actual meanings of the names in the Name Studies, maybe we can discover something else of interest. I hope this long list below of the different translations that are shown are a blessing and not a curse. They were cut down to just show the three birds, except for the translations that like to put all the verses in one verse. (from my e-Sword)
Scanning down through the list the Eagle seems to be no real problem. Most translate it as an Eagle. The last bird, most show as the Osprey or Sea-eagle. Wikipedia says, “The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), sometimes known as the sea hawk, fish eagle or fish hawk,” A few make this last bird one of the vultures. The middle bird is our concentration in this article.
Ossifrage – Lammergier
Looking down this list you will find these birds:
- Vulture
- Ossifrage
- Gier-eagle
- Goshauke or Goshawk
- Griffon
- Bearded Vulture
- Black Vulture
- Latin – grypem or gryphem = griffon
- Spanish – el buitre – (from translator)
(Ornitología) vulture
buitre alimoche Egyptian vulture
buitre leonado griffon vulture
- or quebrantahuesos – “In 1960, the Mexican ornithologist Rafael Martín del Campo identified the eagle in the pre-Hispanic codex as the Northern Caracara or “quebrantahuesos“, a species common in Mexico (although the name “eagle” is taxonomically incorrect, as the Caracara is in the falcon family). The golden eagle is considered the official bird of Mexico.
Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) ©WikiC
What is the Hebrew word for this bird?
H6538
פּרס
peres
peh’-res
From H6536; a claw; also a kind of eagle: – claw, ossifrage.
Many of the online Bible Commentaries and Dictionaries use “bone-breaker” and lean toward Lammergeir. See: Bible Encyclopedia, Net Bible, OED, Bible Suite,and Bible Study Tools.
English
- (ACV) : the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey,
- (AKJV) …: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
- (AMP) …: the eagle, the ossifrage, the ospray,
- (ASV) …: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray,
- (BBE) …: the eagle and the gier-eagle and the ospray;
- (Bishops) …: The Egle, the Goshauke, and the Ospray,
- (Brenton) …: the eagle and the ossifrage, and the sea-eagle.
- (CEV) Eagles, vultures, buzzards, crows, ostriches, hawks, sea gulls, owls, pelicans, storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats are also disgusting, and you are forbidden to eat any of them.
- (CJB) …: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey,
- (Darby) …: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the sea-eagle,
- (DRB) …: The eagle, and the griffon, and the osprey.
- (ERV) …: eagles, vultures, buzzards,
- (ESV)..: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
- (ECB)…: the eagle and the ossifrage and the ospray
- (Geneva) … the egle, and the goshauke, and the osprey:
- (GNB) You must not eat any of the following birds: eagles, owls, hawks, falcons; buzzards, vultures, crows; ostriches; seagulls, storks, herons, pelicans, cormorants; hoopoes; or bats.
- (GW) …. They are eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures,
- (HCSB) …: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
- (HRB) …: the eagle, and the black vulture and the bearded vulture,
- (IAV) …: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
- (ISV) …: the eagle, vulture, osprey,
- (LITV-TSP) …: the eagle, and the black vulture and the bearded vulture,
- (JPS) …: the great vulture, and the bearded vulture, and the ospray;
- (KJ2000) …: the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey,
- (KJV) …: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
- (KJV-1611) …: The Eagle, and the Ossifrage, and the Ospray,
- (LITV) …: the eagle, and the black vulture and the bearded vulture,
- (MKJV) …: the eagle, and the black vulture, and the bearded vulture,
- (MSG) …: eagle, vulture, osprey,
- (NAS77) …: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard,
- (NASB) ‘…: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard,
- (NET) … the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
- (NIrV) …”‘They include eagles, vultures and black vultures.
- (NIV) …: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,
- (NKJV)…: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,
- (NRSV) …: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey,
- (RV) …: the eagle, and the gier eagle, and the ospray;
- (The Disciple’s Bible) …: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray,
- (TRC) …The eagle, the goshawk, the cormorant, the kite,
- (Tyndale) … The egle, the gooshauke, the cormoraunte, the kyte,
- (UKJV) …: the eagle, and the vulture, and the buzzard,
- (Webster) …: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
- (WEB (R)) …: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture,
- (YLT) …: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
Latin
- (Vulgate) … aquilam et grypem et alietum
- (clVulgate) …: aquilam, et gryphem, et haliæetum,
Spanish
- (LBLA) …: el águila, el buitre y el buitre negro,
- (NBLH)…: el águila, el buitre y el buitre negro,
- (SRV) …: el águila, el quebrantahuesos, el esmerejón,
Hebrew or Greek #s (with some editing)
- (KJV+) …: the eagle,H5404 and the ossifrage,H6538 and the ospray,H5822
- (NASB+) …: the eagle H5404 and the vulture H6538 and the buzzard H5822,
- (Translit+) … . nesher H5404 . . perec H6538 . . ‘ozniyah H5822
- (ABP+) … the G3588 eagle, G105 and the griffin,G1127.3 and the osprey,G230.1
- (HSB) וְאֶת…; like אֶת־ H853 ‘et- הַנֶּ֙שֶׁר֙ H5404 han·Ne·sher the eagle וְאֶת־ H853 ve·’Et הַפֶּ֔רֶס H6538 hap·Pe·res, and the ossifrage וְאֵ֖ת H853 ve·’Et הָעָזְנִיָּֽה׃ H5822 ha·’a·ze·ni·Yah. and the ospray
- (HSB2) … the eagle וְאֶת־ H853 הַפֶּ֔רֶס H6538 and the ossifrage וְאֵ֖ת H853 הָעָזְנִיָּֽה׃ H5822 and the ospray
Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)
The Bearded Vulture is in the Gypaetus genus, which is similar to the Vulgate term for it. There are many Old World Vultures in the Accipitridae – Kites, Hawks and Eagles family and most likely it is one of them. A black or bearded one. The Black Vulture above is a New World Vulture and is in the Cathartidae – New World Vultures Family. That “black vulture” is not likely to be the one in this Scriputure.
The Bearded Vulture, like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly on animal matter from dead animals. It usually disdains the actual meat, however, and lives on a diet that is typically compromised at 85-90% by bone marrow. This is the only living bird species that specializes in feeding on marrow. The Lammergeier can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones up to the size of a lamb’s femur and its powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces. The Lammergeier has learned to crack bones too large to be swallowed by carrying them in flight to a height of 50–150 m (160–490 ft) above the ground and then dropping them onto rocks below, which smashes them into smaller pieces and exposes the nutritious marrow. They can fly with bones up to 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter and weighing over 4 kg (8.8 lb), or nearly equal to their own weight. After dropping the large bones, the Bearded Vulture spirals or glides to down to inspect them and may repeat the act if the bone is not sufficiently cracked. This learned skill requires extensive practice by immature birds and takes up to seven years to master. Its old name of Ossifrage (“bone breaker”) relates to this habit. More seldom, these birds have been observed to try to break bones (usually of a medium size) by hammering them with their bill directly into rocks while perched. (from Wikipedia with editing)
Sounds like a “bone-breaker” and also look at its claws. As I said in the other article “Only God knows which bird was really indicated.” Whichever one it is, they are Birds of Prey and being on the “do not eat” list, they definitely would not end up on my table even though that law was for then. Praise the Lord that the Law was fulfilled through the sinless crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:17-18 KJV)
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44 KJV)
Birds of the Bible – Prayer
Sandhill Cranes with “Colts”
“Ah, Soul, God does listen to the chattering of cranes! I know He does, for I have read in His Word what is tantamount to that in the text [Isaiah 38:14],
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me. (Isaiah 38:14 KJV)
Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Kent Nickell
“He hears the young ravens when they cry.”
And surely if He hears a raven’s cry and if not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father, your prayer, though it may be very indistinct and the language, itself, may be very unworthy of the Divine ear, yet it shall command an audience and will bring down a blessing from above!”
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) w chicks ©USFWS
Above is a quote from C. H. Spurgeon’s Notable Quotes: —Volume 61, Sermon #3468
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Psalms 5:1-3 KJV)
See all the:
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Birds of the Bible – Get Off My Back
Laughing Gull landing on Brown Pelican
I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. (Psalms 102:6 NKJV)
Yesterday we were at the beach at MacDill AFB in Tampa. Apparently the fish were numerous, because the Brown Pelicans, Forster’s Tern, Laughing Gulls, Ospreys and others were diving in.
Laughing Gull landing on Brown Pelican
What really amazed me were the Laughing Gulls landing on the backs of the Brown Pelicans. Checking the internet to find out about this, I came across this very interesting article, The Pelican and the Gull. It appears this is a common practice for the Laughing Gull to steal some of the Pelicans food.
Here are some excerpts from that article:
One method the laughing gull has of getting food is to steal fish from another seabird that inhabits the region, the brown pelican. The laughing gull accomplishes this larceny by waiting for the brown pelican to make a successful dive….
When the pelican has a bill full of fish and water, it transfers the fish to the pouch that hangs below its bill. The pelican cannot fly away or swallow the fish until the water is drained from the pouch. Laughing gulls either circle closely above the pelican or land on the pelican’s bill or head. The gull may even give the pelican a sharp peck or two. If the pelican pays too much attention to the antics of the laughing gull and not enough attention to the delicate draining and swallowing process, the pelican may lose some of the trapped fish. The gull then swoops down and scoops up the pelican’s hard-earned catch, flying away at top speed from the scene of the crime and makes short work of his ill-gotten gains.
Of course, I could make all kinds of applications about not stealing, pecking someone on the head, or getting on their backs without permission. Because of the curse we are all under, the birds included, this kind of things happen. Eagles steal from Ospreys, Cuckoos lay eggs in other species nest, etc. For us, we know that stealing is wrong and I trust we don’t. Also, we are supposed to “love one another.” Not so sure this is being displayed here.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32 KJV)
Here is another sequence of photos I took of an exchange between the Gull and the Pelican (cropped):
Pelican catching fish and Gull circling
Laughing Gull watching Brown Pelican preparing to land
Laughing Gull lands on Pelican as he comes up
Would you hurry up
Waiting
Slipping Off
Watching His Food Source Leave
Maybe I can catch him
These photos were taken with my zoom because they were out quite a way from the shore. The following two photos were closer up as they both posed on posts for us.
Pelicans belong to the Pelecanidae – Pelicans Family and are on of the Birds of the Bible.
Mature Brown Pelican by Dan at MacDill
The Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard. It is 42–54 in (106–137 cm) in length, weighs from 6.1 to 12 lb (2.75 to 5.5 kg) and has a wingspan from 6.0 to 8.2 ft (1.83 to 2.5 m). Through most of its range, the brown pelican is an unmistakable bird. Like all pelicans, this species has a very large bill, 11 to 13.7 in (28 to 34.8 cm) long in this case, with a gular pouch on the bottom for draining water when it scoops out prey. The head is white but often gets a yellowish wash in adult birds. The bill is grayish overall in most birds, though breeding birds become reddish on the underside of the throat. The back, rump, and tail are streaked with gray and dark brown, sometimes with a rusty hue. In adult pelicans, the breast and belly are a blackish-brown and the legs and feet are black. The juvenile is similar but has a brownish-gray neck and white underparts.
This bird is readily distinguished from the American White Pelican by its non-white plumage, smaller size and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to co-operative fishing from the surface. The Peruvian Pelican, previously considered a subspecies of Brown Pelican, is now considered to be a separate species. It has very similar plumage to the Brown, but it is noticeably larger. The Brown and Peruvian pelicans may overlap in some areas along the Pacific coast of South America.
the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after their kinds; (Deuteronomy 14:15 NKJV)
Laughing Gull on post by Lee
The Laughing Gull is a member of the Laridae – Gulls, Terns and Skimmers Family and is a Bird of the Bible also. The Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. It breeds on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Northernmost populations migrate further south in winter, and this species occurs as a rare vagrant to western Europe. The Laughing Gull’s English name is derived from its raucous kee-agh call, which sounds like a high-pitched laugh “ha… ha… ha…”.
This species is easy to identify. It is 14–16 in (36–41 cm) long with a 39–43 in (98–110 cm) wingspan. The summer adult’s body is white apart from the dark grey back and wings and black head. Its wings are much darker grey than all other gulls of similar size except the smaller Franklin’s Gull, and they have black tips without the white crescent shown by Franklin’s. The beak is long and red. The black hood is mostly lost in winter.
Laughing Gulls take three years to reach adult plumage. Immature birds are always darker than most similar-sized gulls other than Franklin’s. First-year birds are greyer below and have paler heads than first-year Franklin’s, and second-years can be distinguished by the wing pattern and structure. Laughing Gulls breed in coastal marshes and ponds in large colonies. The large nest, made largely from grasses, is constructed on the ground. The 3 or 4 greenish eggs are incubated for about three weeks. These are omnivores like most gulls, and they will scavenge as well as seeking suitable small prey. Like most other members of the genus Leucophaeus, the Laughing Gull was long placed in the genus Larus. (Wikipedia with editing)
Interesting Links:
- The Pelican and the Gull
- Pelican – Wikipedia
- Brown Pelican – Wikipedia
- Birds of the Bible – Pelicans
- Birds of the Bible – Sea Gulls
- Pelecanidae – Pelicans Family
- Laridae – Gulls, Terns and Skimmers Family
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Fifth Blog Anniversary
White-throated Sparrow by Ray Barlow
“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. (Luke 12:6 NKJV)
I just realized that this blog, Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures Plus, is now 5 years old. On February 15, 2008 I posted the first article on our church blog, The Fountain. At that time I began my own blog on Blogspot and then moved everything over here to WordPress and have been here since then. It was named Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures (original site) and later added the Plus as more articles about other topics were added.
The Fountain was a printed newsletter produced at church and it eventually became only an online version. It has developed over the years, just as this blog has. Stephen, our Assistant to the Pastor, is the reason that this blog exists. He invited me to write there and the rest is history.
When I brought the blog here, I moved all the originals also and this is that First article, Birds of the Bible Introduction. The One Year Anniversary, Second Anniversary of Blog,
In July of 2009, Ian Montgomery gave permission to reproduce his newsletters and also to use his photos. That started the Ian’s Bird of the Week series. In March of 2010, A J Mithra started doing articles for the blog. Ian is Australian and A J is Indian. We have other guest writers who add articles for the blog also.
Bald Eagle flying by Dave’s BirdingPix
Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? (Job 39:27 ESV)
The other off-shoot blog:
The Birds of the Bible For Kids was begun in July of 2012 and is still developing. It has already had almost 5,800 views. My hearts desire is to get busy on this and show young people God’s Creative Hand though the Birds of the Bible, but written more to their level. (Update 10/3/14 – Move to Kid’s Section)
The Lord has blessed these sites way beyond what I ever imagined or prayed about when it began. The main site right now has had 868,500 views since moving it in July of 2008. All three of them added together is over a million views. Wow! Praise the Lord!
Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus) by Ian
Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold. (Psalms 68:13 NKJV)
What about the future? Lord willing, I hope to keep finding neat things about the birds in the Bible and in the world to write about. Maybe some more writers will contribute to this adventure. Maybe more photographers and videographers will give their permission to use their images of these fantastic birds. (Of course, I really love one of my photographers, my husband, Dan) Only the Lord know the end from the beginning.
Without all of you, who stop by to read these articles and see the amazing birds, it would be useless. Thank you from the bottom of heart and may you receive a blessing from something you see and read.
I am so thankful that He has enabled me to write about His beautiful and delightful avian wonders.
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)
Bible Birds – Thrush Introduction Article
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush by Peter Ericsson
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)
See – Thrush Introduction)
This was duplicated by mistake.
Birds of the Bible – Names Study – Plover
American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) at National Aviary by Lee
From the article on Kosher Animals that we have been looking at with our Bird Name Study, the Plover is listed. I haven’t added a page for this bird so far, so let’s see what we can learn about this bird.
Under the Birds section they give a list of birds from the Septuagint and that is where we find the plover listed:
“The Septuagint versions of the lists are more helpful, as in almost all cases the bird is clearly identifiable:
charadrios (plover)”
They show that it appears in the LXX in Deuteronomy 14:18 and in Leviticus 11:19. Of course I can’t read it, but here it is from the LXX-BYZ on my e-Sword.
Deu 14:18 kaiG2532 CONJ pelekana N-ASM kaiG2532 CONJ charadrion N-ASM kaiG2532 CONJ taG3588 T-APN omoiaG3664 A-APN autoG846 D-DSM kaiG2532 CONJ porphuriona N-ASM kaiG2532 CONJ nukterida N-ASF
I do see the word charadrion in it though. Looking at my database of birds from IOC Version 3.2, the CHARADRIIFORMES Order came up. That is the Shorebirds and Allies Order. The Plover is definitely in that group. The Plovers are in the Charadriidae Family. The Plovers are there and also the Lapwings. Yet, checking the compare mode of all the Bible versions loaded, the Plover is not in any other translation. (at least in my English versions that I can read)
That bird is either translated as Lapwing or Hoopoe. This is going to take some more digging. I have already written about both of those birds.
The KJV+ uses H1744
And the stork, H2624 and the heron H601 after her kind, H4327 and the lapwing, H1744 and the bat. H5847 (Deuteronomy 14:18 KJV+)
H1744
דּוּכּיפת
dûkı̂yphath
doo-kee-fath’
Of uncertain derivation; the hoopoe or else the grouse: – lapwing.
Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries
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The BTSCTVM (which combines Brown Driver Briggs, Thayers, the KJV Concordance, and Strong’s TMV) has:
– Original: דּוּכּיפת
– Transliteration: Duwkiyphath
– Phonetic: doo-kee-fath’
– Definition:
1. unclean bird (probably hoopoe)
– Origin: of uncertain derivation
– TWOT entry: 414
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine
– Strong’s: Of uncertain derivation; the hoopoe or else the grouse: – lapwing.
Total KJV Occurrences: 2
• lapwing, 2
Lev_11:19; Deu_14:18
From what is above, there is really no need to make a new Plover page. Since Plovers and Lapwings are in the same family, Charadriidae and many of the Scriptures say frequently, “their kind,” that is exactly what they are. “Same Kinds” (Oh, no! Did you notice they threw the “grouse” into that last definition. Later.)
We have also written about the Hoopoe, which is a totally different Order and Family.
Black-bellied Plover – Ft DeSoto 11-22-12 Thanksgiving
Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called “plover” or “dotterel”. The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.
Plovers are found throughout the world, and are characterised by relatively short bills. They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as longer-billed waders like snipes do.
They feed mainly on insects, worms or other invertebrates, depending on habitat, which are obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups.
The plover group of birds has a distraction display subcategorized as false brooding, pretending to change position, to sit on an imaginary nest site.
A group of plovers may be referred to as a stand, wing, or congregation. A group of dotterels may be referred to as a trip. (Wikipedia)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) by Nikhil Devasar
The versions of the Bible that list the Lapwing are: AKJV, Bishops, ECB, IAV, KJV, TRC, Tyndale, UKJV, Webster and the YLT.
Here is a very interesting version of Deut. 14:16:
The bittern, and the charadrion, every one in their kind: the houp also and the bat. (Deuteronomy 14:18 DRB)
That version actually mentions the Charadrion and the “houp,” which is the Hoopoe.
If you look through the birds in the Charadriidae Family you will find that the Lord was gracious and omniscient in his creative design of those species. I trust you never tire of studying God’s Word.
In your studies about the birds and other topics in the Bible, don’t forget one of the most important verses:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)
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See:
Birds of the Bible
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 