Birds are feathered vertebrates (animals with skeletons) in the class Aves. Scientists have identified over 8,000 species of birds. About 400 species live in the Holy Land, and about 40 kinds are mentioned in the Bible.
Today, scientists classify living things by their inner and outer body structure. In the Bible, writers often grouped animals by where they live. For example, the Bible lists bats with birds as creatures of the air (Leviticus 11:19; Deuteronomy 14:18).
It is often hard or even impossible to know exactly which bird is meant in a Bible passage. The languages of the Bible were not scientific. People in Bible times could tell the difference between similar animals we now call separate species. But for birds, they often used poetic or descriptive names.
Bible scholars try to identify these birds by:
comparing the Hebrew words to words in related languages, and
looking at the bird’s home, behavior, and features described in Scripture.
Even with these methods, scholars sometimes disagree about the exact kind of bird.
Birds in the Bible
The Bible speaks about birds in both real and symbolic ways. The writers of the Bible paid close attention to nature. Many passages show their knowledge of birds and bird life. They said that God knows every bird (Psalm 50:11) and cares for them (Matthew 10:29). They also saw God’s promise to Noah after the flood as including the birds and animals (Genesis 9:10).
The law of Moses said that some birds were “unclean.” These were mostly birds that ate dead animals, hunted other animals, or lived in empty, wild places. Later, early Christians came to see all birds as clean. This was shown in a vision given to the apostle Peter (Acts 10:12).
The Israelites ate other birds, like quail during their journey in the desert (Exodus 16:13). The law required birds to be used as sacrifices:
for a firstborn child (Luke 2:24);
for a Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:10);
for cleansing a leper (Leviticus 14:22); and
as a burnt offering and sin offering (Leviticus 12:8).
Birds can become extinct, especially because of human activity. God told the Israelites to protect birds so they would always live in the land and provide food. The law allowed people to take eggs or young from a nest, but they could not kill the mother bird and her young on the same day (Deuteronomy 22:6).
Those who wrote the Bible often used nature to show truths about God or to describe human behavior. Sometimes this showed human weakness or low position. King Nebuchadnezzar’s madness is described as having claws like a bird (Daniel 4:33). Job said that birds do not know the source of wisdom (Job 28:21). In Jesus’s parable of the sower, birds that ate seed beside the road stand for people who do not understand God’s word (Matthew 13:4).
Other passages show sympathy for birds. A lonely person in prayer was compared to a bird alone on a roof (Psalm 102:7). Someone hunted by enemies could understand the fear of a hunted bird (Lamentations 3:52). Birds fled from Jerusalem and from the earth when God’s curse came on those who did evil (Jeremiah 9:10; Zephaniah 1:3).
Even though birds face dangers, the Bible says God cares for them (Psalm 50:11; Matthew 6:26; 10:29). Some rulers, like Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, were compared to trees that gave shelter to birds (Ezekiel 31:6; Daniel 4:12; compare 2:38). But human power does not last. When Nebuchadnezzar’s “tree” was cut down, the birds fled (Daniel 4:14).
God’s protection is different because it lasts forever. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed that grows into a plant where birds can rest (Matthew 13:32). God provides a home for birds (Psalm 104:12), but Jesus, the Son of Man, had no home of his own (Matthew 8:20).
Birds show God’s work in creation (Job 12:7). Bird behavior is used as a picture of learning from mistakes (Proverbs 1:17; 6:5). It also teaches about bad choices that lead to sin (Proverbs 7:23). Birds can be tamed, but the human tongue cannot (James 3:7). Birds flying without stopping are compared to a curse without cause (Proverbs 26:2). Without trusting God, people may feel forced to flee like a bird to the mountains (Psalm 11:1). Birdsongs bring joy (Song of Solomon 2:12). The return of God’s people to their land would be like birds returning home (Hosea 11:11). Jesus said he wanted to gather the people of Jerusalem like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings (Matthew 23:37).
Sometimes birds were a sign of danger. In a dream, Pharaoh’s baker saw birds eating food from a basket on his head. This showed he would soon die (Genesis 40:17). Solomon warned not to curse the king, even in private, because "a winged creature" might tell what was said (Ecclesiastes 10:20).
A powerful image in the Bible is that of birds eating the bodies of the wicked after battle. For the Israelites, this kind of treatment of a human body was the worst form of disgrace (Deuteronomy 28:26; 1 Samuel 17:44; Isaiah 46:11; Jeremiah 7:33; 12:9; Ezekiel 29:5; 39:4; Revelation 19:17, 21).
Types of Birds
Specific types of birds are listed below. Click on a bird listed below to access the full-length article.
Bittern: A water bird with long legs, similar to a heron but with shorter legs and a smaller body.
Buzzard: A large bird of prey similar to a hawk that soars high up in the air.
Cormorant: A large, black water bird that looks similar to a goose.
Crane: A tall, long-necked wading bird known for its loud calls and graceful flight in large flocks.
Cuckoo: A bird known for its call and for laying its eggs in the nests of other birds.
Eagle: A powerful bird of prey with good eyesight and strong wings.
Gier Eagle: An older English name for the Egyptian vulture (see Vulture).
Fowl (Domestic): Birds raised by people for food or other uses, such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys.
Goose: Large water birds with long necks and loud honking calls.
Hawk: A sharp-eyed bird of prey that hunts small animals and birds.
Heron: A long-legged wading bird that feeds on fish in shallow waters.
Hoopoe: A colorful bird with a crest of feathers and a curved bill.
Ibis: A long-legged wading bird with a curved bill, known from ancient Egypt.
Kestrel or Falcon: Small, fast-flying birds of prey that hunt insects and small animals.
Kite: A medium-sized bird of prey with a forked tail that glides in the air.
Night Hawk: A bird that is active at bight and that catches insects in flight. A night hawk is actually a type of bird related to the whippoorwill, not the hawk.
Ostrich: The largest living bird. It cannot fly but is able to run very fast.
Owl: A bird of prey that is active at night. It has large eyes and a silent flight.
Barn Owl, White Owl: A pale, heart-faced owl that hunts rodents at night.
Great Owl: A large species of owl that has two tufts on its head that look like ears.
Little Owl: The smallest owl that hunts at night and the most common owl in the Holy Land.
Scops Owl: A small owl with ear tufts and a soft, repeated call.
Partridge: A plump bird that lives on the ground. People hunt partiridge for food and sport.
Peacock: A large bird with the male displaying a long, colorful tail.
Pelican: A large water bird with a pouch under its bill for catching fish.
Pigeon: Gentle, short-necked birds often used as symbols of peace or sacrifice.
Turtledove: A small wild pigeon that migrates and makes a soft cooing sound.
Quail: A small bird that lives in fields and grasslands. People hunt quail for food and sport.
Raven: A large black bird known for its intelligence and harsh call.
Seagull: A bird that lives on the coast with long wings and a loud cry.
Sparrow: A small, brownish songbird common in towns and fields.
Stork: A tall wading bird with long legs and a long beak. Storks often build large nests on rooftops or tall trees.
Swallow: A small bird with long, pointed wings that catches insects in flight.
Swan: A large, graceful water bird with a long neck.
Swift: A small bird with long wings that spends most of its life flying.
Vulture: A large scavenging bird that feeds on dead animals.
Water Hen: A dark, ducklike bird that lives in wetlands and has a red bill.