Birds

Of the near four hundred kinds of birds that live in Israel, twenty-six kinds can be found only in Israel and nowhere else. The Bible mentions about fifty kinds of birds. Here are some of them:

Doves. Noah sent a dove to find dry land. Jesus told His disciples to be harmless as doves. The Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove. Doves were sold in the temple for sacrifices.

Peacocks. Beautiful pheasants that strutted about Solomon’s courts.

Pigeons. Pigeons were common rock doves. They were used by the poor for sacrifices because there were so many around.

Quail. Quail live on the ground and scratch for food. In Bible lands, quail migrate in huge flocks, flying only a few feet off the ground.

Ravens. Ravens were considered unclean because they are scavengers. But ravens also brought Elijah food during a drought.

Rooster. Just before He was arrested, Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed—the hours between midnight and 3:00 a.m.

Sparrows. Sparrows are small, seed-eating birds like American sparrows. They busily flit about and chirp constantly. Sparrows were so inexpensive to buy that when four were sold, a fifth sparrow was added free. But Jesus said that God knows about each one.