Counterfeit Birds: The Disappointments of Birding at the Movies
The geese in Dances with Wolves are cranes. The ducks in D2: Mighty Ducks are geese. How do the directors sleep at night?
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the gospel according to birds
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- Apr 23
- 6 min
Breakfast and Kookaburras: Did Jesus Have a Sense of Humor?
God gives us great evidence of the humor and wit of our Savior. For starters, consider the ostrich, the kookaburra, and a fish breakfast.
709 views
- Mar 7
- 4 min
He Will Know Them By Their Feet
Grimy feet are a picture of all the hidden mess of our hearts. It's hard to admit our dirt. But we have a savior who knows us by our feet.
541 views
- Feb 24
- 5 min
Praying with Kingfisher Persistence
What can a luckless kingfisher teach us about the power of persistent prayer, even to the level of "shameless audacity"?
641 views
- Nov 24, 2022
- 6 min
The Cardinal Rule of Christmas
How did the cardinal score such a lucrative Christmas endorsement deal? There are at least three good reasons.
1,257 views
- Oct 1, 2022
- 8 min
Cowbird: Laying Eggs in the Wrong Nest
Birdwatchers have long villainized the squirrel, but there's a darker evil lurking in your backyard. And it wants to pawn off an egg on you.
438 views
- Aug 17, 2022
- 6 min
Pileated Woodpecker: Words That Build or Destroy
A strong beak can build a grand nest. It can also crank up the volume. Do we use our words to build a safe place, or just to overpower?
826 views
- Aug 10, 2022
- 5 min
Acorn Woodpecker: Words That Keep Record
An Acorn Woodpecker never forgets. Staring at a woodpecker granary makes you consider the sorts of words you’re storing up and filing away.
346 views
- Aug 3, 2022
- 4 min
Sapsucker: Words That Wound or Heal
A sapsucker uses its mouth to wound a tree and trap its prey. A simple word from our own human mouths can accomplish the same.
294 views
- Jul 28, 2022
- 4 min
Woodpecker: Taming the Beak
“No human being can tame the tongue.” But what about a woodpecker? The first in a 4-part series on woodpeckers and the power of words.
507 views
- May 29, 2022
- 5 min
An Open Letter to Thoughtlessly-Named Birds
Inexplicably, a naturalist looked at you and thought to himself, "Meh. I’ve seen better." And so you got branded: Common. Lesser. Least.
646 views
- Apr 28, 2022
- 7 min
The Humblest Bird in America
A bird that ranks 200th out of 200 on the bird-obnoxiousness scale might be worth a look for those wrestling with their own pride.
652 views
- Mar 7, 2022
- 9 min
Birdnados and Murmurations: Blessed Be the Tie That Binds
The flock makes the ordinary extraordinary. Swifts and starlings find their beauty in an invisible connectedness, like the Church.
998 views
- Jan 22, 2022
- 8 min
Arctic Tern: Chasing Daylight
No single creature on this globe lives more of its life in daylight than the Arctic Tern. To what lengths will we go to live in the light?
1,030 views
- Dec 4, 2021
- 4 min
Snowbound: A Christmas Story
God sent Jesus to speak our language, wear our frame, walk our soil, bear our burdens — to seek and save storm-disoriented sparrows like us.
516 views
- Nov 26, 2021
- 6 min
Inti Tanager: Something New Under the Sun
Discovering a new species should stir our imagination and humble anyone who thinks we’ve got this world pretty much figured out.
198 views
- Nov 4, 2021
- 9 min
Pigeon: Knowing the Way Home
Your purpose includes your place—a concept that can gift you with the freedom of roots. Want to learn the way home? Consider the pigeon.
554 views
- Apr 9, 2021
- 4 min
Birding Pt. 2: Pilgrims with Binoculars
An avian flash mob walked past their cars and further on into a growing upward-looking crowd... The word got out, and the faithful gathered.
164 views
- Apr 3, 2021
- 5 min
Heaven’s Important, But It’s Not the End of the World
"I’d rather be a comma than a full stop." By and large, wouldn’t we all? But it’s hard to get past this generic desire to something specific
242 views
- Mar 28, 2021
- 4 min
Birding Pt. 1: Magnificent Obsession
The pursuit of avian beauty offers a template for our communal pursuit of the Beautiful One.
354 views
- Feb 28, 2021
- 8 min
Lorikeet: In the Eye of the Beholder
How could a bird so valued on one side of the globe be so dismissed at the other?
1,923 views
- Jan 30, 2021
- 7 min
Mockingbird: Repeat After Me
If your life outlook is grounded in a commitment to personal growth, the mockingbird is an apt metaphor for you, a mascot of good-to-great.
585 views
- Dec 24, 2020
- 5 min
An Ornitheologist Looks at the 12 Days of Christmas
Birds make great gifts, but you have to know when to quit.
784 views
- Nov 26, 2020
- 4 min
Turkey: Gratitude for Awkward Grace
Could a live turkey—not just the cooked and basted type—evoke in us a gratitude for awkward grace?
500 views
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