The Bible records the creation of birds in Genesis
chapter 1, verses 20-22. When we observe the variety of birds
that is in the world, we are amazed with the abilities that God
has designed each of these birds with in order for them to exist.
Let's look at one of these amazing birds, the Oilbird.
Living in caves - one of the most un-bird-like
habitats on the earth - the amazing Oilbird has a variety of unique
features that allow it to be able to spend much of its time in
total darkness. One of the problems that must be overcome by any
animal living in permanently dark conditions is how to navigate
without light. The Oilbirds have extremely large light-sensitive
eyes which allow them to find food at night as they hover in the
air to feed on fruits, nuts, and berries from a variety of plants
in the jungles of South America and Trinidad. In the absence of
any light in a cave, even the very light sensitive eyes are useless.
So, God has given these birds the same ability that bats have
- echolocation.
The ability to use sounds bounced off of objects
to "see" in the total darkness is a very special design
feature for the Oilbird. Unlike the bat's supersonic cry, which
humans cannot hear, the Oilbird's clicking sounds are audible
to us. With a frequency of about 7,000 cycles per second, the
clicking sounds are obvious to humans in the caves where the Oilbird
roosts. This has caused the natives to call these birds "guacheros,"
which is Spanish for "One who cries."
In order for these birds to hear the clicks and
use them to locate objects in the cave, God gave the Oilbird a
bat-like sonar device or echo-locator. This is found in the ears
and involves muscles and nervous tissues that allow the birds
to ignore the first sound produced and focus on the bounced off
sound waves coming back from obstructions in front of them. They
can then fly, locate other birds, find their nest, and raise young
without ever seeing the light.
The Oilbirds nest in large colonies in the caves
- on high rocky ledges well within the cave. The female lays two
to four eggs that hatch in about 33 days. The young are fed on
rich, oily fruits and become grotesquely fat, growing to more
than twice the normal adult weight. This "baby fat"
is lost quickly as the babies begin to grow feathers. The name
Oilbird comes from the high oil body fat content that these birds
have. As natives captured these birds, they were able to boil
them down to obtain this oil for various uses.
So, we can see in the Oilbird the power and might
of God. Indeed, "the invisible things of him from the creation
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they
are without excuse:" Romans 1:20. Rt 1 Box 116A, Belington,
WV 26250.