"And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air" (Gen. 2:19).
There are four species of the pretty bird called the avocet, and all are quite similar except for coloring. One of these is the American avocet, called this because its home is in the United States and Canada. It migrates north in spring to the Arctic and returns south to Canada and the United States in fall. This long-legged, web-footed, 18-inch resident of marshes and ponds is called a "wader." This is because much of its time is spent wading as it hunts for food.
Beautiful color combinations mark the American species. The smooth, tan feathers of its neck, head and breast are set off with a small white circle around each dark eye. It has a larger circle at the base of its long, up-curved, slender, black bill. Below the breast the body is pure white, partly covered with black wings. Long, slender, strong legs and extra-large, partially webbed feet complete the picture. In flight it spreads long wings far out and trails its legs behind like a rudder.
When choosing a mate, the male, while wading in water, entertains a female sitting on the ground. She may encourage him with motions of her head and wings. He struts gracefully through the shallow water, stopping now and then to bow to her. Then he spreads his wide wings and shows her how gracefully he can dance. If she responds to all this, they soon begin to build a nest in a hidden spot among brush and grass.
The female lays three or four olive-colored eggs which will hatch in three or four weeks. The male incubates them for a week or more and then turns the rest of the job over to the female. If an enemy threatens her, he is close by and immediately comes to her aid.
The baby chicks can run around right after hatching. If the parents warn them to be still, they "freeze" immediately and stay that way, even permitting a person to pick them up.
The Creator has provided these birds with long, up-curved bills to enable them to get food from the marshy areas. With them they probe in the mud for small shellfish and worms. At other times they swing their opened bills back and forth just above the surface of the water to catch insects hovering there.
The opening Bible verse tells of the Creator's bringing all birds and beasts into the world. And we know He took great pleasure in all He created. More importantly, we are also told of His special love for each one of us. He wants each of us to accept the Lord Jesus as Savior-the One who died on the cross, providing a way for us to be in heaven.