Hi ,
Sitting on my porch the other day, I was aware that a mockingbird had perched very close by. Other birds were not vocal at the time. This mockingbird decided it was time for him to start his songs. As always, I was totally fascinated by his ever-changing tunes!
I have a very cool bird app that allows me to perform a sound ID that will identify the bird making the call. So, I fired up the app, and pressed the record button. This app, as each bird is recorded, will suddenly show a picture of the bird, its identity, and as long as it is singing, the entire identity field will turn
yellow. If another bird calls, the same thing will happen, and its field will turn yellow. If the first bird calls again, its field will again turn yellow while that bird is calling. In this way, you can instantly identify any bird that is calling at that time.
The funny thing about it was that there were no other birds calling. And, as the mockingbird sang each new tune, the app would instantly identify a particular bird. That bird was not actually singing, of course. It was the mockingbird imitating it perfectly! In the space of less than two minutes, the app recorded at least 17 different birds that he was imitating!
According to the Cornell Labs, in the 1800s people prized them just for their songs. People actually trapped
adults and even took babies out of their nests. In places like Philadelphia and New York in the 1800s, mockingbirds that could sing well could bring as much as $50! Additionally, they are able to add new songs to their inventory as long as they're alive. A male can learn up to 200 songs, and they can often be heard singing well into the night time!
I'm totally fascinated by this! Why does this bird have the ability to imitate other birds, while most other
species cannot. But, the questions go on... How does the female cowbird know to lay her eggs in other bird's nests, while most other species do not. How does the killdeer know to pretend that her wing is broken when danger is near her nest? How would she know what a broken wing even is, and that it would seem that she would be an easy catch to a predator? This list of fascinating instinctive ability goes on and on! I never tire of it!
So, I can't fathom what God has in store for us in heaven! In fact, the Bible even tells us that no mind has
conceived what He has in store for us. I can't wait!...
