God's Bird List: October 2026

Migration

Probably the best-known and perhaps most fascinating bird instinct is migration. “Somehow” each bird knows when it is time to fly south (or back north). The birds know which pathways to travel and what their destinations should be. The “somehow” is explained in an incredibly wise God who taught each bird what to do. “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). “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, stretching his wings toward the south?” (Job 39:26).

The vast majority of birds migrate twice each year, in the spring and again in the fall. For many, that means going from Canada or the U.S. to Central or South America. For some birds, the shift is less dramatic, and they may move from far-northern Canada to southern Canada, or from the northern U.S. to the southern U.S. Some cold-loving birds move back and forth between the northern and southern arctic zones. In general, most birds do not want to winter in frigid areas. (Can you blame them?)

This means, at least where I live in Pennsylvania, that winter is not the most active time for birding. There just aren’t that many year-round residents. For Lebanon County, of the 304 (last time I checked) bird species ever reported on eBird, only 43 have been reported or would be likely to see in all twelve months. These year-round birds include Canada geese, mallards, doves, vultures, bald eagles, a few hawks, most woodpeckers, corvids, starlings, bluebirds, robins, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, finches, some sparrows, and cardinals. Of course, there are additional birds that are here only during the winter. (I actually love winter birding, because it is so quiet and peaceful, as well as invigorating and refreshing.)

Spring, however, is the most exciting time for many birders, for two reasons. First, after the drabness and dearth of winter, birds are returning for the summer, and birders watch for their feathered friends to come back in a predictable pattern. The early mornings become alive with bird songs. Second, migrating birds pass through on their way to points further north, often Canada, and a few weeks or months in spring provide the brief opportunity to see them. As a bonus, most spring-migrating birds are in breeding plumage.

There is a consistent schedule for migration, and this pattern guides birders in what to look for and which habitats to frequent. (The below observations are based on south-central Pennsylvania.) Winter birding often focuses on waterfowl. The migration of ducks, geese, swans, and allies varies some, because these birds are dependent on open water. Some years the ice melts early, and other years it stubbornly lingers. As a general rule, waterfowl migration starts early in February and peaks in mid-February to mid-March. It really tapers off through the month of April.

Raptors start migrating in March, and various species take their turns through at least late-April, before winding down by mid-May. (More about this next time.)

Shorebird migration is an extended season. Early shorebirds can start arriving in March. April becomes busier, and May is prime. Some migration can even continue into June.

Some birders really love raptors, and others work hard to become proficient at tricky shorebirds, but the overall favorite group of birds tends to be songbirds (passerines). It’s tough to see returning songbirds before April, but in March some of the bravest species start trickling in. Many people consider the arrival of robins to be the first sign of spring (more about that in a minute), but probably the true harbingers of spring are brown-headed cowbirds, common grackles, tree swallows, and eastern phoebes.

The beginning of May introduces prime time for songbirds, and it features that exciting time known as warbler season. Some warblers nest in the area, but for others there is a two- to three-week window in which to spot them on their way through. Yellow-rumped warblers can winter over, but the first migrating warblers are palm and pine warblers, which could start sneaking in mid-March. Black-throated green warblers are next, possibly starting at the beginning of April, and each week introduces new arrivals, ending with Cape May warblers in mid- to late-May. While this sounds like nearly a two-month warbler season, there is a difference between when the first few appear and when the main crowd arrives. For almost every warbler, the peak time frame falls within the first three weeks of May.

By the end of May, pretty much every bird that is coming back or passing through has done so. If someone wants to go birding only one week of the entire year and wants to choose the most exciting time with the highest potential number of species, the second week of May is the time to go. This year’s “biggest week in American birding” was celebrated May 8-17, with “Big Day” on May 9. There is also a fall “Big Day” to coincide with fall migration. This year it was October 10.

Fall migration is kind of like saying goodbye. Summer residents return to their winter homes. Generally, those that arrive earliest in the spring are the last to leave, and the birds gradually disappear. Sometimes you notice them gathering in preparation for mass migration (tree swallows, chimney swifts). Often, though, one day you find yourself thinking, “I haven’t seen a __ in a while. I guess they’re gone until next spring.” Birds seen only during migration also pass through, usually in reverse order of when they came. Fall birds for almost all species are more challenging to identify; they are in non-breeding plumage, and less-marked immature birds are mixed in – hence, one of the great challenges of birding – “confusing fall warblers.”

Some species are partial migrators: robins, goldfinches, blue jays, and Canada geese, to name some of the more common examples. For these birds, some will migrate and some will overwinter. Robins generally hide out in the woods, and a careful observer can find them all year; in winter, they are more likely to be in the treetops than on the ground. Goldfinches lose their bright coats, but many of these drab birds frequent feeders all winter. Large groups of blue jays are on the move in October, and honking V’s of Canada geese take off each morning, but some remain for the winter. At least for some of these species, or so the theory goes, the local winter population may not be the same individuals as the local summer population. It is possible that the entire group of Canada geese, for example, shifts southward, and Pennsylvania might become the northern edge of the range instead of somewhere in the middle.

I tend to be a pretty local birder, but avid birders often travel to other locations for migration. That’s because there are invisible pathways in the sky. Certain routes are most advantageous for birds. Flying long distances over water is draining, and some birds are visual flyers, relying on landmarks like mountain ridges and lakes. Migrating birds also need places to rest and feed. They will divert to avoid weather events, and of course, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. There are four major migration routes in the U.S., and these determine the hotspots for birders, but there will always be a smaller number of birds that don’t strictly follow those routes.

The Atlantic Flyway (shorebirds, waterfowl, warblers) and the Pacific Flyway (shorebirds, raptors, Western songbirds) follow the coastlines. In the interior of the U.S., there is the Mississippi Flyway, which gets the lion’s share; some people call it a superhighway. Closer to the Rocky Mountains is the Central Flyway (cranes and waterfowl). Warbler-manic birders go to Ohio (specifically, Magee Marsh) or to Cape May, NJ. I prefer quiet and peaceful over commotion and crowds, so I don’t feel a burning urge to go to the “best” places. There is enough of God’s beauty and wonder to satisfy me in quieter spots.

Migration, on the one hand, is a complex ecological picture, with many interwoven factors. On the other hand, it is quite precise and individualized, with each species having unique plans designed by God. Each species knows when to go, which path to take, and where its destination is.

Instinct

A recent post examined the vulnerability of birds. They are frail creatures. However, God has not left birds defenseless. He has given them what science can describe only as natural instinct. Instinct includes the strategies, tactics, practices, built-in tendencies, and characteristic behaviors designed by God for each bird. These instincts contribute to the birds’ protection, well-being, and survival.

A common saying is “Birds of a feather flock together.” Is this true? The Bible agrees. “Yes, the hawks will be gathered there, every one with its kind” (Isaiah 34:15). Birders will attest to this habit of birds to congregate with others of their own kind. On breeding grounds or feeding grounds, different species gather in their "assigned” area. An informed naturalist can point out the various nesting areas in a wildlife refuge – terns here, ducks there, pelicans over there. Both over-wintering flocks and migrating flocks do the same.

This spring I was at a large lake when the ice finally went out, and the waterfowl had descended by the thousands. I scanned the lake from side to side, counting first one species, then another. Yes, there were some blurred lines and overlap between groups, but the for the most part the members of each species were clumped together – a blob of wigeons, a clump of redheads, an area of buffleheads, a section of teals, and so on.

Other birds do the same. Vultures and broad-winged hawks form kettles. In the fall, blue jays, robins, and crows fly in loose flocks. European starlings fly in a tight, and often very large, flock known as a murmuration. Geese and cormorants form their V's or lines in the sky. In fact, different species even coordinate their morning departure times. I’ve seen snow geese lift from the lake by the tens of thousands, seemingly all at once. A glance around reveals the remaining tundra swans, which will lift off a little later.

Birds of a feather definitely flock together. This is a helpful piece of information for identifying female and young birds. These harder-to-discern individuals are usually the same species as the males they are gathered with. Pairs of ducks often swim together, and the brightly-colored male helps confirm the identity of his plainer brown mate. In the woods or field, the confusing drab bird (perhaps a female indigo bunting or red-winged blackbird) is often the mate of the nearby males that are more easily identified.

But … never assume that every bird is a group is the same. Sometimes an odd bird will be mixed into a flock. Stray individuals will often “adopt” a friendly flotilla, and birders will report that there is one bufflehead, for example, that is swimming in the group of scaups. One of my birding strategies is to look for the one that is different, rather than quickly moving on from a group that appears homogenous at first glance.

By instinct, birds sometimes harass each other. “Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me? Are the birds of prey against her on every side?” (Jeremiah 12:9). This verse hints that several birds are coming on the attack against a single bird. Birds are territorial and will defend their air (or ground or water) space. During migration, local raptors will sometimes harass the raptors that are migrating through their territory. Other birds are known for their boldness, even when significantly out-sized. The eastern kingbird is well-known for this brash behavior. It is appropriately named Tyrannus tyrannus. Red-winged blackbirds will do the same. Blue jays will gang up on a larger intruder to their territory, such as a hawk or an owl.

Instinct also makes birds wary. Birds can be tricked and trapped. However, this is less likely in the daytime or if the trap is obvious. “Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird” (Proverbs 1:17). The birds won’t be caught unless there is something attractive or deceptive about the trap. “Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it?” (Amos 3:5).

Instinct for one species will not be identical to instinct for another species. God has made each one as He intended. God tells of His purposeful bestowing of a certain instinct to the ostrich. “For she abandons her eggs to the earth and warms them in the dust, and she forgets that a foot may crush them, or that a wild beast may trample them. She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned; because God has made her forget wisdom, and has not given her a share of understanding. When she lifts herself on high, she laughs at the horse and his rider” (Job 39:14-18).

The ostrich, for whatever reason God chose, is unusual in the casual treatment of its eggs and young. Brown-headed cowbirds are another unusual species. They surreptitiously lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving their young to be hatched and raised by strangers. Most other birds by instinct are much more protective and invested.

Instincts must be different among birds, because species vary in size, habitat, nesting practices, diet, migration status, and more. God instinctively made each bird with the knowledge of how it ought to act and of what it must do to survive.

Proliferation

Like every other creature on earth, birds must reproduce in order to survive. This was God’s plan from the beginning. At the time of creation, “God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth’” (Genesis 1:22).

The word “multiply” means to increase greatly or exceedingly. We all understand that multiplication results in bigger totals than does addition. I believe it is quite possible that God deliberately blessed the reproduction of birds in the beginning years after creation, so that they could fill the skies.

There is one other time that God gave a similar directive. After the Flood, He instructed Noah, “Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth” (Genesis 8:17).

This time, not only were the birds to “be fruitful and multiply,” as at the time of creation, but they were also to “breed abundantly.” This Hebrew word is translated as “swarm” or “teem” in other passages, like the plague of frogs in Egypt. It appears to indicate births beyond the norm, and I believe this was God’s direct intervention to repopulate the species following the Flood.

In normal times, what is bird proliferation like? Well, that depends a lot on the species. In general, though, birds must have multiple offspring per year to keep each species from dying out. One major factor in the necessity for multiple births is that, as a rule of thumb, more than half of chicks die during their first year. This is true for the majority of bird species. Having only two chicks per year (with only one surviving) is not a sustainable number.

Another factor is the short life expectancy for wild birds. Most small birds (sparrows, warblers, finches) are likely to live only two to five years. Larger birds (crows, blue jays) might live five to fifteen years, and some of the largest birds (eagles, cranes, waterfowl) can live two or more decades. Obviously, birds with short life spans have a limited number of attempts at raising chicks.

Most birds have a clutch of multiple eggs, and many birds raise more than one brood per year. House sparrows are a highly productive bird; they average twenty chicks per year, laying four to seven eggs in each of three or four broods. Even if half the chicks die, leaving ten (theoretically, five males and five females), house sparrows can multiply their number by five each year. This bird was first introduced in the US in 1851, and is now believed to be our most abundant species, with an estimated 100 million birds. I’m usually aware when a new brood fledges, because suddenly my neighbor’s hedge is alive with loudly chirping birds that fly around the area in large groups.

At the other end of the spectrum is the albatross. (Picture an extremely large gull. The largest species of albatross has a wingspan of up to twelve feet, and even the smaller species have a wingspan greater than six feet.) The albatross lays one egg per year, and sometimes they skip a year, meaning one egg every two years. This is due to the great physical demands of egg-laying for this bird, as well as the nine (or so) months of dependency of the chick. Raising an albatross chick requires a great deal of commitment. Some other large birds, like kiwi and California condor, also lay a single egg per year or per two years. The tradeoff is that these large birds can live several decades, so that they can still have a significant number of young over their lifetime. There is a tagged Laysan albatross named Wisdom that breeds at Midway Island. She is now over 75 years old and still nesting. (She hatched a chick in 2025 that did not survive, and in 2026 she was raising a grandchick.) It is believed that she has successfully raised over 30 chicks.

Many duck species have a large clutch. Wood ducks might lay up to fifteen eggs. The nice thing about ducks is that if you are in the right place at the right time, you can see (and possibly count) the large number of chicks. Momma duck will be swimming in a lake or creek, and she will have a long trail of very cute chicks trailing out behind her. I have seen this with wood ducks, mallards, and common mergansers.

If we consider a well-known bird, like the American robin, we find that there are usually two clutches per year, although it can be three to four clutches, especially in more southern regions. Robins typically lay three to five eggs in each clutch, yielding six to ten chicks per year for northern birds and perhaps twice that down south. Probably fewer than half survive, but that is still enough for the overall population to grow, which is not hard to believe if you’ve ever looked at a grassy lawn in the spring or summer.

In our complex world of changing conditions – weather, available food, land development, interplay of predators, conservation efforts, and other factors, certain birds flourish and other birds struggle. Species can trend in a positive or negative direction, and that trend can reverse as conditions change. In recent history (1968-2025), the species with the sharpest decrease in population is the common tern, down 98% in that time frame. Meanwhile, Canada geese lead the opposite end of the spectrum, having multiplied 105 times in that same time frame. (Data from US Breeding Birds Survey). So if you have thought that geese are everywhere, fouling up parks and parking lots, honking loudly every morning, and taking over ponds and lakes, you’re right!

Male and Female

It’s common knowledge that there are male and female birds. Birders are keenly aware of this fact, because some of their greatest identification challenges come with female birds. In fact, some female birds are so drab or different that successful identification is worthy of bonus points!

The scientific term is sexual dimorphism. Males have one appearance, and females have a different appearance. This is most commonly noted in color patterns, but it can also be a size difference or even a difference in shape or adornment feature.

Not all birds exhibit sexual dimorphism, (or at least nothing humans can easily distinguish). Bald eagles, turkey vultures, Canada geese, barn owls, mourning doves, blue jays, European starlings, black-capped chickadees, and field sparrows are just a few of the species in which the males and females look alike. Gulls, terns, and sandpipers are likewise basically homogenous.

For some species the dimorphism is minor. Female American robins, white-breasted nuthatches, and American black ducks are somewhat paler than the males. Female Cooper’s hawks are a little larger than males and may have some subtle differences in coloring. Male downy and hairy woodpeckers are distinguished by a small red patch on their heads, and the red stripe on the head of the male red-bellied woodpecker is complete, rather than broken on the female.

Sometimes the females have beautiful color, but they are still less flashy than the males. Northern cardinals are a well-known example; the males are vibrant red, while the females are buffy or orangish with dull red highlights. Female eastern towhees are chocolate-brown and rusty, compared to the males’ vibrant black and rusty colors. The bright yellow summer coat of the male American goldfinch can be seen even in overhead flight; the female’s yellow is dull in comparison and lacks the bold black highlights. There isn’t much like the bold black and orange of a male Baltimore oriole; the female is mostly yellow with just hints of orange. The male scarlet tanager, bright red with black wings and tail, is one of our most eye-catching birds, but his wife is plain yellow. Female eastern bluebirds still have beautiful blue and orange, but significantly reduced compared to the male.

For many species, male and female birds display vast differences in appearance. A notoriously difficult bird for new birders is the female red-winged blackbird, which looks brown and streaky like a large sparrow, while the males are shiny black with bright red shoulder patches. Male purple finches and house finches are brightly colored, while females are brown and streaky. Male house sparrows are richly brown, with a gray cap and a black bib, but the females are plainer buffy brown and unadorned. The very dull brown female indigo bunting takes the name of her bright blue husband. The female black-throated blue warbler is so different that it was long thought to be different species from the male.

Many duck species are strikingly different (wood ducks, mallards, hooded mergansers, American wigeons, green-winged teals, northern shovelers, northern pintails, buffleheads); the males get wildly patterned faces, flamboyant green heads, white crowns, orange heads, warm chestnut patches, and other striking patterns, while the females are generally brown and unmarked. Male game birds like ring-necked pheasants, California quail, and wild turkeys get an extra feature – a horn, a tall head plume, or a beard – in addition to their larger size, brighter coloring, and extra feather features.

When there are differences, the males are almost always more colorful. There are a few rare occasions where the female gets the extra color. In North America, the best example is the belted kingfisher. The male is beautiful blue with a white collar and blue bib. The female gets all of this, plus a special orange band on her chest and sides. Phalaropes (Wilson’s and red-necked) are less familiar and less common birds, but the females of these species also get brighter colors and more vibrant markings than their male counterparts. Globally, the Moluccan eclectus (parrot in Indonesia) is another example.

What is the purpose behind the dimorphism? God created the birds as male and female, and He did so for the purpose of reproduction, for continuation of the species. “Also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth” (Genesis 7:3). It is interesting that the color variation between sexes is basically tied to reproduction.

The fact that the females are duller, plain and drab, often brown, gives them protection for nesting. Imagine a duck sitting on a nest of eggs for 28 days. If the female wood duck were as brightly colored as the male, she would be an easy mark for predators – a sitting duck! Most female ducks are brown and gray, so they are camouflaged and able to blend into their surroundings.

The males of many species have their bright colors just for the breeding season, so even their bright colors are tied to reproduction. The males with the best outfits can most easily attract a mate. (Healthy birds with a good diet have the brightest color.) In some cases, the mating displays highlight the male’s special colors, or displaying those colors can be used to intimidate the competition.

Most birds (about 90%) are monogamous. One male and one female pair up together to raise a brood of chicks, and they remain together for the season. The next season, if both birds are still alive and both return to the same breeding area and they have previously been successful in raising chicks, they might pair up again. Given all those factors, it is also true that many birds will choose new mates in a new season. There are birds that are lifetime monogamous, however. This is especially true of larger birds with longer life expectancies and that are more heavily invested in the prolonged raising of fewer offspring. Some examples are swans, eagles, cranes, and storks.

In most cases, both the father and mother bird share in raising the young, though the division of labor varies between species and even within species. Typically, the mother (or both) build the nest; the mother most often sits on the eggs and tends to the chicks in the nest, while the father (or both) are responsible for bringing food.

While it may seem that the only reason for sexual dimorphism is to make life more challenging for birders, God has His good reasons. Through them He provides us with beauty and diversity, and He provides birds with the necessary traits to survive and prosper.

Vulnerability of Birds

For all their beauty and diversity, birds also have a level of vulnerability and limitation. There is a frailty to birds; while they are stronger than insects, they are weaker than mammals, generally speaking.

The frailty of birds can be seen through their timidity. In general, birds are not known for being aggressive, but gentle and harmless. “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

There are things that frighten birds. In this first verse, all creatures will tremble before Almighty God. “The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence” (Ezekiel 38:20). This second verse, however, singles out birds as creatures who tremble. God uses this fragile picture to describe His broken people returning from captivity and being gently settled by His hand. “They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria; and I will settle them in their houses, declares the Lord” (Hosea 11:11).

Birds live in the wild and face the resultant conditions. “Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws” (Daniel 4:33). Birds face the cold of night and the dew of morning, as well as the harshness of storms, the attacks of predators, and the scarcity of food. They are at the mercy of the elements.

Certain environmental or atmospheric conditions are especially difficult for birds. Local bird populations can be devastated by unusual storms. For most birds, large amounts of water are not beneficial. Of course, no creatures survived the Flood. “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. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth” (Genesis 7:21-23).

Most birds were created to live on dry land. In conditions of flooding, they can survive only if they find places to land. “But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth” (Genesis 8:9). Of course, some birds can fly longer than others and can endure harsher conditions. In the same situation, the raven “flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth” (Genesis 8:7). Neither bird could live in floodwaters, but they had different abilities in terms of dealing with it.

Birds can be scattered or alarmed by various dangers. There is much current debate about data centers. Birds can suffer because of the disrupted habitat, in part just from the noise and light pollution. Blasting sites are worse. Some birds become so stressed by the noise and activity that they abandon their nests. There are specific restrictions about disturbance in the vicinity of eagle nests. God acknowledges this frail response of birds. “Then, like fleeing birds or scattered nestlings, the daughters of Moab will be at the fords of the Arnon” (Isaiah 16:2). “I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled” (Jeremiah 4:25).

Birds can suffer from such simple risks as falling out of a nest. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matthew 10:29). When people find fallen birds, they often overreact in concern. In most cases, the proper response is to leave the bird alone, even babies. Most often, the parents will come to check on or care for the babies. In reality, humans are not equipped to understand and care for the needs of wild birds, and successful intervention (for an injured or orphaned bird) requires a trained professional. It is not practical or possible to rescue every tiny bird. That’s sad, perhaps, but it is part of the reality of the vulnerability of birds.

Birds are susceptible to the destruction of habitat. “He shouted out and spoke as follows: Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches” (Daniel 4:14). This is one of the major factors in bird decline. Consider how much of the US used to be covered in forest (or swamp or unspoiled coastline). These natural areas have been dramatically reduced. Many bird species have survived (or recovered) only because of refuges, wildlife reserves, or protected natural areas.

Birds also face dangers from human predators through hunting. “My enemies without cause hunted me down like a bird” (Lamentations 3:52). “Until an arrow pierces through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, so he does not know that it will cost him his life” (Proverbs 7:23). For example, in the 1800s, farmers and ranchers in the West were concerned that eagles and other raptors would destroy their herds; unrestrained shooting of bald and golden eagles brought them near to extinction. Other birds, like egrets, were harvested almost to extinction just for their feathers.

In another ironic quirk, the early study of birds was done almost entirely by shooting the birds to provide specimens. Birds were shot for private collections, for museums, and for universities, all for the purpose of study. Until the 1930s, there was not an accessible or comprehensive field guide in the US, and the cameras of that day were not sufficient to capture bird photos. It was a matter of standard practice for the first known record of a bird (in a state, for example) to be shot as proof. The focus was more on documentation that on preservation, and as a result, some birds were wiped out (or harmfully reduced) by this short-sighted mentality. The last known nesting pair of ivory-billed woodpeckers in Florida was shot as proof that the bird still nested in Florida, immediately making the proof irrelevant. With today’s technology, if a rare bird appears, there can be dozens (or more) birders on site with high-powered cameras within 24 hours to document the bird.

God has designed birds’ reproduction processes to balance out their vulnerability. If birds were like humans and had one child every two to three years, and averaged only 1.9 offspring in their lifetime (US average, 2026), probably all birds would be extinct. But God knew birds were more vulnerable than people, and He designed them to have more offspring so the species can survive. Some birds lay only one egg per clutch, while others lay over a dozen; the average is four to five, dependent on species. Some species lay only one clutch per year, but many have two to three clutches. The average bird “couple” could have eight to fifteen offspring per year. This allows the species to survive, while accounting for unhatched eggs, predators, severe weather, disease, and other dangers.

God’s provision on the Ark was consistent with this reality. “Also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth” (Genesis 7:3). “By sevens” is literally “seven seven,” which suggests seven pairs (seven males and seven females). Verse 8 speaks of birds “by twos” (literally “two two”), suggesting two pairs. The difference is probably explained by the difference between clean birds (7 pairs) and unclean birds (2 pairs). Probably most birds were clean; Leviticus gives the short list of unclean birds. God deliberately spared enough birds to give them the possibility of keeping their offspring alive for future generations. Given the frailty of birds, that would have been pretty tough with only a single pair of each species.

God's Bird List

Migration

Instinct

Proliferation

Male and Female

Vulnerability of Birds

Storks

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