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.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.