The sight and sounds of birds usually produce pleasant thoughts, for so many of them cheer us with their pretty colors and sweet songs. But this is not true of all birds. Certain species are too lazy to build their own nests and hatch their young, forcing others to do this work for them.
Cuckoos are rather drab-colored birds, ranging in length from 7 to 24 inches. They often lay eggs in the nests of robins, warblers, sparrows, magpies and others. One even deposits her eggs in crows’ nests. Some of them lay as many as a dozen eggs during nesting season, but place just one in each nest. They do this while the nest’s owner is away, and on her return she is unaware of the new egg, so it hatches along with her own. Though the baby cuckoo is not at all like the mother’s own chicks, she feeds and cares for it as if it were her own, even when it grows to be twice as big as she is!
The cowbird sometimes takes over the nest of another bird in the same way. But on occasion she will roll out the owner-bird’s eggs, lay her own and take over the nest, not allowing the other bird to return to it.
The males of the honeyguide species will attack a bird sitting on its nest, forcing it to fly off. Then his mate comes and lays her egg for the nest’s owner to hatch. Young honeyguides are vicious and peck to death the chicks of the true mother when they hatch. All birds that do this are called “parasites” and have similar bad habits, either killing their nest mates or pushing the eggs out of the nest.
These adult birds do not always get away with these activities. Sometimes a bird realizes a strange egg is present, rolls it out of the nest, or leaves it and makes a new nest, laying eggs of her own. The house wren and yellow warbler are not easily fooled. Seeing an egg of a different color or size, the wren punctures it and pushes it out. The warbler simply builds another nest on top of the original, laying new eggs and letting the others spoil. If crows or robins catch these scoundrel birds doing these things, several will work together to chase them away and often kill them.
Certain finches, ducks, orioles and weavers also follow these bad practices. Their behavior makes us think of Satan who is always looking for an opportunity to put his thoughts into our hearts and minds. The Lord Jesus said of him, “The same is a thief and a robber.” In contrast, He spoke of Himself, saying, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:99I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)). Are you letting Satan into your life, or have you entered through the Living Door to know God’s salvation?
JULY 30, 1995
ML-07/30/1995