“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)
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) ©Flickr Stan Lupo
Temperance means “self-control” * The Blue Jay is “not hogging it all.”
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“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13 KJV)
Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus) ©WikiC
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Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) ©WikiC
“Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.” (Psalms 84:3 KJV)
This week, as we continue in the Emberizidae – Buntings, New World Sparrows and allies Family, the next 50 or so will be highlighted. That will leave us with the last of the Emberizidae Family III and/or IV to finish up this family. Last week’s Sunday Inspiration had most of the Buntings from this Family.
Yellow-eyed Junco (Junco phaeonotus) ©WikiC
American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns.
Although they share the name sparrow, American sparrows are more closely related to Old World buntings (which are also in the family Emberizidae) than they are to the Old World sparrows (family Passeridae). American sparrows are also similar in both appearance and habit to finches, with which they sometimes used to be classified. (Wikipedia)
Many of the sparrows are just called “Little Brown Jobs” or LBJs. They are very numerous and common, yet they are special to the Lord. Matthew 10 quotes the Lord with these verses:
Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus) (Dusky-extinct) ©WikiC
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” (Matthew 10:29 KJV)
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) by Daves BirdingPix
“Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:31 KJV)
When a person knows the Lord he needs not to fear.
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” (Psalms 37:3 KJV)
“His Eye Is On The Sparrow” ~ Kathy Lisby – Special at Faith Baptist
Emberizidae – Buntings, New World Sparrows & Allies
Birds of the Bible – Little Brown Jobs
Birds of the Bible – Sparrows
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“And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,” (Mark 15:17 KJV)
Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) ©WikiC-J M Garg
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Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) ©Elaine R Wilson WikiC
“Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.” (Ezekiel 23:6 KJV)
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“I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.” (Psalms 116:1 KJV)
Flamingos In Love ©Pixabay
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“And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.” (Exodus 18:20)
Walking Chicks ©GettyImages
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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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“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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“The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou who dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?” (Obadiah 1:3)
Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) by Bob-Nan
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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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“ If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? If the grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?“ (Obadiah 1:5)
White-fronted Amazon (Amazona albifrons) named Eugy, Eating Grapes ©WikiC
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