God's Bird List: September 2026

External Anatomy

When we speak of external bird features, the Bible goes beyond just wings, which we considered previously, and gets to the level of feathers. Speaking of preparing a bird for sacrifice, the Bible instructs, “He shall also take away … its feathers” (Leviticus 1:16); this is the same word elsewhere translated “plumage.” Daniel 4:33 describes the time when Nebuchadnezzar’s “hair had grown like eagles’ feathers”; in this case the word is supplied by the translators. (People have hair; birds have feathers.)

Plumage refers not to individual feathers, but to a bird’s feathers collectively. Ezekiel 17:3 & 7 refer to “much plumage” and “full plumage” on an eagle. Another bird that is interesting for considering the entire plumage is the ostrich. The Bible mentions ostriches “with the … plumage of love” (Job 39:13).

A final feather term mentioned in the Bible is the pinion. Pinions are the outside tips of the flight feathers. Often they look like individual fingers extending from the ends of the wings. These special feather tips operate like the flaps on an airplane wing. Birds can overlap the pinions or spread them apart. These actions enable birds to steer, to brake, and to adjust for stability. “Like an eagle … He carried them on His pinions” (Deuteronomy 32:11). Ostriches are described “with the pinion … of love” (Job 39:13). The dove has “its pinions with glistening gold” (Psalm 68:13).

Feathers and plumages are of different colors on different birds. There is no question that a peacock’s plumage is very different from that of a crow. Many bird lovers tend to get more excited over the spectacular birds than the drab ones. Warblers, bald eagles, flamingos, roseate spoonbills, cardinals, bluebirds, herons, and ducks are just some of the birds with fascinating plumage.

The Bible highlights a few distinct plumages. The raven is black. “His locks are … black as a raven” (Song of Solomon 5:11). Many raptors are speckled or streaked underneath. “Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?” (Jeremiah 12:9). Some birds are special because they are of more than one color. “A great eagle with … a full plumage of many colors” (Ezekiel 17:3). Doves are beautiful because of their shimmering feathers. “You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and its pinions with glistening gold” (Psalm 68:13).

The Bible mentions the eyes of birds. “How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves” (Song of Solomon 1:15, 4:1, similar 5:12). This is not earth-shattering news; almost all creatures have eyes. Many bird eyes are simply black, but some bird eyes can be especially beautiful (white-eyed vireo, red-eyed vireo) or captivating (owls, eagles, osprey). Bird eyes are generally very round, as opposed to the almond- or football-shaped eyes of people and mammals.

The Bible also refers to beaks. “The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf” (Genesis 8:11).

Beaks can be quite diverse. There is the teeny-tiny beak of a golden-crowned kinglet or blue-gray gnatcatcher, the long and thin beak of a ruby-throated hummingbird, the thick pointed bill of an American goldfinch, and the very large bill of a northern cardinal. Among shorebirds, there is the long and strong bill of a willet or oystercatcher, the even longer curved bill of an ibis, and the nearly grotesque bills of flamingos or pelicans. Raptors are known for their vicious-looking bills. God created each bird with a bill suited to its diet, and He made variations for cracking open seeds, snatching insects, drinking nectar out of flowers, drilling holes in trees, probing in the mud, opening oysters, spearing fish, piercing small animals, and more.

Finally, God also refers to birds’ claws. “He was driven away from mankind … until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws” (Daniel 4:33). The word “claws,” like “feathers,” is provided by the translators for clarity. (People have nails; birds have claws.) The word “claws” does not actually appear, but it is understood within the comparison.

Claws are likewise diverse and suited to diet and lifestyle. Most birds have four toes, but how they are arranged is diverse. Two forward, two backward. Three forward, one backward. All four forward. Two fused together. Webbed toes. Toes that can rotate from back to front. Some are tiny and fragile, while others are bulky and fierce. As far as purposes, many claws are designed for perching on branches. However, birds’ claws (or feet) can also be used for holding food while eating, catching insects or larger prey, transporting food, climbing trees, clinging to upright surfaces, swimming, wading, walking or running, scratching for food, building nests, preening, and powering take-offs.

If I were to look at bird design from a human perspective, I tend to think of a computer game, in which the designer has various templates to choose from. Choose the size, choose the color, choose the length of tail, choose an optional crest, choose the kind of feet, choose the color of eyes, choose the style of beak, and so on. Such a game could result in an immense number of possibilities. It’s easy for me to transfer that same idea to our Creator-God, thinking that He chose the features of each bird and combined them with great variety, diversity, and creativity. Except that God was not limited by templates. And He is the One who dreamt up all the possibilities.

Size and Internal Anatomy

A previous post focused on wings, which are a very important part of every bird. Wings, however, are not the only aspect of bird anatomy mentioned in the Bible. In regard to bird design, the Bible refers to overall size, as well as both internal and external components of anatomy.

When it comes to size, birds, on average, are smaller than other creatures. When God was confirming a covenant with Abram, He had Abram bring a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. In preparing the animals, Abraham divided the larger animals but not the smaller birds. “Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds” (Genesis 15:10). God later gives the instruction not to “sever” birds given in sacrifice (Leviticus 1:17).

The New Testament also refers to the small size of birds. The sparrows were so small and insignificant that they had little value. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent?” (Matthew 10:29). “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents?” (Luke 12:6).

On the other hand, there are also large birds, and the Bible recognizes this fact. “But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman” (Revelation 12:14). Ezekiel 17:3 and 7 also mention a “great eagle.”

The Bible mentions several aspects of internal anatomy. One of these is a bird’s flesh. “All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish” (1 Corinthians 15:39). Birds have flesh that is different from the flesh of other living things. Flesh is the soft substance of the body that surrounds the skeleton (muscle and fat). Anyone with a diverse appetite is aware of this difference. There are great differences between a fish fillet, a T-bone steak, and a chicken breast. Birds’ distinct flesh quality is affected by things like the protein-to-fat ratio, their metabolic rate, their breathing system, their reproductive processes, and the tendency for fat to be found in pockets rather than marbleized within the muscles.

The Bible acknowledges that birds have blood. “You are not to eat any blood, either of bird or animal, in any of your dwellings” (Leviticus 7:26). In instructions for a sacrifice involving birds, God says, “Its blood is to be drained out” (Leviticus 1:15). Drops from an injured bird will be bright red. The blood of birds has the same basic components as human blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, plasma), but bird blood is especially designed to meet their high metabolic rate, their oxygen demand in flight, and their frequent physical activity. For example, their red blood cells have a nucleus; this difference from mammals enhances their circulatory system and helps them maintain energy during flight.

The Bible records that birds also breathe air. “All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died” (Genesis 7:21-22). Do birds have nostrils? Yes. They aren’t exactly like human or mammal nostrils, but their beaks have openings for the intake of air. Birds have a complex respiratory system that takes up about one-fifth of their interior. Numerous air sacs are connected to the lungs, and the air that the birds breathe in passes in a cycle, starting with the posterior air sacs, then moving to the lungs, then to the anterior air sacs, and then is exhaled. The lungs purify the air, and the air sacs act like pumps to force the air through the process.

How about this internal detail? “He shall also take away its crop” (Leviticus 1:16). The crop is an interesting feature of birds. In essence, it is a food storage pouch located between the esophagus and the stomach. The crop helps to manage a bird’s caloric needs and also begins to prepare the food for digestion. Birds have to eat when they get the opportunity, and sometimes that means they have to eat a lot of food all at once. The crop stores what their body doesn’t need immediately and gradually releases it throughout the day. Many birds feed primarily in the morning and become less active in the heat of the day, which explains why early morning is a birder’s favorite and most rewarding time.

Of course, God knows all about the internal workings of birds, because He designed and created them, giving them the unique features suited for the way He expected them to live and function. Next time we’ll look at external anatomy.

Swifts

Swifts are some of the most boring and most fascinating birds on the planet. This may seem like a contradiction, so let me explain.

Swifts could be considered boring because of how common they are. There are around 110 species of swifts, and they live in almost the entire world, with the exceptions being Australia, New Zealand, and the far south of South America. They exist in the hundreds of millions and are so numerous that no swift species has gone extinct since 1600.

Swifts could be considered boring because of their size and color. Most species are just four to seven inches long. There is some variation between species, but swifts are some version of black, grey, or brown – very drab. Only a few species have any striking markings or patches of color. The underparts are often lighter, but still generally brown, grey, or dull white.

Swifts could be considered boring because of their shape. They have been described as looking like a cigar with wings. Most species have a small tapered tail. They have a blunt head that looks like it got smashed, resulting in a broad face. They have a tiny beak. The wings are abnormally long compared to their body, with each wing being about the same as the length of the body. The skinny wings are curved backward in the distinct shape of a scimitar. And they don’t even have feet! Their scientific name is Apodidae, meaning without feet. Okay, yes, they do have tiny feet and short legs, but in past centuries they were illustrated with no feet.

Swifts could be considered boring because of their monotonous behavior. All day long, they dart through the air, catching insects. Back and forth, up and down, round and round.

Swifts could be considered boring because we never see them up close. Swifts never (voluntarily) land on the ground. They don’t perch in bushes or trees. In fact, if they did land, they would struggle to get airborne again. Their weak legs are not made for walking. Their sharp claws are designed for clinging to vertical surfaces like tree hollows or chimneys. When they do land, it is usually inside one of these structures, so even then, they are not visible.

But swifts are not boring! They are fascinating! They are fascinating because they are fast. Swifts are the fastest passerine in North America. They regularly fly at 60-70 mph, and the fastest species can exceed 100 mph. They can also maneuver quickly.

Swifts are fascinating because they are so aerodynamic and such efficient flyers. Everything about their body shape minimizes wind resistance. They have very light, hollow bones. Their flight muscles are only 25% of their total weight, compared to 50% for most birds. Instead of constant flapping, swifts rely on gliding and soaring. When they flap, it is a brief burst of very rapid flaps, followed by gliding. Then they rely on air currents and thermals to glide. Their flight uses minimal energy.

Swifts are fascinating because of how far they fly. On a routine day eating insects, a swift can fly up to 500 miles. Adding in migration miles, swifts fly nearly 200,000 miles per year and millions of miles over their lifetime.

Swifts are fascinating because of their migration. Chimney swifts from the US migrate to and from the Amazon basin, which adds 6,000 miles per year. European swifts migrate to sub-Saharan Africa, which can add 14,000 miles per year. (And they can make that trip in as little as 11 days!) These long migration routes rank among the longest for any bird. Prior to migration, swifts mass in the thousands and form huge clouds in the sky. Their migration flight can be a mile high.

The Bible has only one verse about swifts, and it has to do with their migration. “Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; and the turtledove and the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration” (Jeremiah 8:7). Out of curiosity I checked my records for the past three years for when I saw the first swift of the year. These birds are common above cities; I drive to and from work in the city, and I eat my lunch outside, so it is very likely that I will see swifts on the first day they return. In 2026, I saw my first swift on April 24. In 2025, my first swift was on April 24. In 2024, the first swift I saw was on April 24. Do you think the swifts know the time of their migration?

Swifts are fascinating because of their metabolism. They have a high metabolism, so they can process food quickly for rapid energy replenishment. But they can also slow down their metabolism when they don’t need as much energy, like when they are gliding. They have energy on demand.

Swifts are fascinating because of how much of their life is spent in flight. They can go for months at a time without landing. By months, think ten! Apart from breeding and nesting, they hardly ever land. They can’t build nests in the air, so they have to come down for that. Non-breeding birds (young) might not land for the first two to three years of life.

Swifts are fascinating because of what they can do in the air. Obviously, they eat in the air, flying with their very wide mouth open to catch bugs. They also bathe and drink in the air, using raindrops or skimming water. They will sometimes even mate in the air. And this is the one I envy – they can sleep while flying! They turn off half their brain at a time and go to autopilot, circling at high altitude. The air aloft is more stable, and face it – up there, what are they going to crash into? At first I was skeptical about this, because I start to see swifts fairly early in the morning, like they are rising up and starting to feed. Then I realized that they aren’t rising up; I’m seeing them only when they come downstairs for breakfast!

Swifts are fascinating because of their lifespan. Swifts have great protection from predators. Generally, the most dangerous place for a bird is on the ground, where it can face danger from cats and other predators, from humans and their machinery, from chemicals and pollutants, and from all the dangers that lurk low. Swifts avoid the ground. In the air, they are so fast that only falcons are likely to capture them. With these natural protections, they can live for over 20 years.

Swifts are fascinating because of their nests. They build on vertical surfaces and often inside vertical structures: hollow trees, cliffs, caves, rock walls, wall cavities. In more recent history, they have become very dependent on man-made structures, especially chimneys. There are also swift towers built especially for them. Their tiny nests are made of twigs and glued together with their saliva. Have you ever heard of bird’s nest soup? It really is made with a bird’s nest, specifically the nest of a swift or swiftlet. Why? The appeal is in the saliva. (Gross!)

These boring but fascinating birds, while still plentiful, are declining in numbers. Among the primary reasons are fewer insects, due to pesticides, and fewer nesting sites, as suitable chimneys are not part of modern construction, and many older chimneys have been capped or demolished.

Flight

Recent posts have dealt with birds belonging to the sky and to their having wings. The perfect way to combine those two concepts is by talking about flight. Beyond the birds’ realm and anatomy, God specifically reveals aspects of their flying.

We can start with an obvious statement. “And the fourth creature was like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). The eagle flies. “Like flying birds so the LORD of hosts will protect and deliver it; He will pass over and rescue it” (Isaiah 31:5). The parallel construction of this verse equates flying with passing over, which is a common experience with birds; we see them come toward us, pass over our heads, and continue behind us.

Where do birds fly? “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven” (Revelation 8:13). This one was in midheaven. The birds can get pretty high, as anyone who has ever done a hawk watch knows. We call them “speck birds,” and the hotter the day gets, the higher the migrating raptors fly. Even from the top of a mountain, the birds are so high they can barely be seen, (and presumably some are too high to be seen).

The height of flight is not the only challenge for birders. It’s easy to relate to Hosea’s statement. “As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird!” (Hosea 9:11). Every year my list includes species that I saw for a second or less the entire year. One brief sighting, and the bird flew away, never to be seen again. There isn’t always time to thoroughly examine birds, because they have a tendency to fly away when humans get close. For this reason, one of my strategies is to scan the front edge of my walking area – looking not at the bushes right beside me, but at the ones out ahead of me. Hopefully this allows me to see at least some of the birds before they fly!

Sometimes the flight of birds seems random, like they are just out cruising around. “And he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth” (Genesis 8:7). Other times flight seems more deliberate, like a bird has a specific destination. “But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place” (Revelation 12:14). That destination might be close or quite distant. “I said, ‘Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness” (Psalm 55:6-7). Certainly, both experience and common sense tell us that birds are sometimes out looking for food and are sometimes going to their nest.

Birds are distinct in their flight. Expert birders can often identify birds by their flight patterns – the rise and fall of trajectory, the pattern of flapping, speed, etc. The Bible highlights some of these differences.

Eagles, for example, are fast. Eulogizing Saul and Jonathan, David says “they were swifter than eagles” (II Samuel 1:23). Jeremiah was well aware of this fact, giving three references. “His horses are swifter than eagles” (Jeremiah 4:13). “Behold, one will fly swiftly like an eagle and spread out his wings against Moab” (Jeremiah 48:40). “Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky” (Lamentations 4:19). Eagles fly at 30-40 mph in normal soaring, and their dives can exceed 100 mph, possibly up to 200 mph for some species.

This is quite different from a dove, which has a gentler flight. “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him” (Matthew 3:16; also Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32). All four of the gospels use this same word – “descending.” There is a reason God uses a dove rather than an eagle to describe this event; the dove presents a far gentler and more peaceful picture, with its fluttering landing rather than aggressive diving.

Men have long been captivated by the flight of birds. Living probably in the same time frame as Solomon, Agur tells of four things that he has studied and cannot fully understand. The first of those is the flight of birds. “The way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid” (Proverbs 30:19). Agur was noticing that there is a specific way eagles fly, and probably he noticed the same regarding other birds.

Sparrows flit around close to the ground, while swallows spend long periods in the air. “Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight” (Proverbs 26:2).

Hawks and other raptors spend much of their time soaring high in the air. “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, stretching his wings toward the south?” (Job 39:26).

Birds of prey chase after their food, often smaller birds. The rapid, swerving pursuit as a raptor closes the gap on its dinner reveals a bird on a mission. “Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky; they chased us on the mountains, they waited in ambush for us in the wilderness” (Lamentations 4:19).

Especially if the prey is on the ground (like a mouse or snake) or in the water (like a fish), the attack is better described as swooping. “The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand” (Deuteronomy 28:49). “They slip by like reed boats, like an eagle that swoops on its prey” (Job 9:26). “They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour” (Habakkuk 1:8). “Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah” (Jeremiah 49:22). If you’ve ever seen an eagle swoop down to snag its prey, you know it is an amazing sight.

Another part of flight involves getting to the high position at which the birds can soar and from which they swoop. They first must mount up into the sky on powerful wings. “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31). “For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens” (Proverbs 23:5). “Behold, He will mount up … like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah” (Jeremiah 49:22).

Finally, there is the flying action of a bird at the nest. This reference probably refers to the eagle teaching its young to fly. Eagles do flying demonstrations near the nest and also push the eaglets toward the edges to challenge them and prompt their flight. “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions” (Deuteronomy 32:11).

Certainly, there is far more that could be said, but the Bible contains a significant number of references to various aspects of flight.

God's Bird List

External Anatomy

Size and Internal Anatomy

Swifts

Flight

Storks

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