“He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.... By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.” Psalms 104:10,12.
The finch most commonly seen in America is often called a wild canary, because its pretty yellow coloring is so similar to the caged pets in homes. These were brought to America from the Canary Islands many years ago, which is why they have that name.
Actually, it is only the male American finch that is golden yellow with a black skull cap, black wings and tail. The female has a grayish-green body with black wings edged in white. But both male and female are delightful little birds.
We can name here just a few of the many varieties of finches. One is the blue finch. The male is bright blue with red and pink on his wings while the female is plain brown on top and tan underneath. The cactus finch, which makes its home in the Galapagos Islands, has the remarkable ability to move large stones to get at seeds and insects under them. In Asia and Europe bird lovers are fond of snow finches, which are found mainly in the mountains. These have pretty light-blue heads, white throats and underparts, and brown and white wings.
All finches have beautiful songs, especially when nesting. They all eat great quantities of seeds; the larger the bird the larger the seed or nut it prefers. The Creator has given each species a special bill. The sharp edge of the lower part fits into the upper part so that when a seed is plucked and the tongue places it in the right spot, the bill closes, the shell falls away, and the edible part is promptly swallowed. These birds, like chickens, have no teeth, but swallow food whole. Then their gizzards, which contain grit, grind it up for digestion. A crop in their throat stores undigested food for later use.
A favorite food is thistle seed. Eating this and weed seeds is valued by farmers, but they do not like them eating grain crops or visiting their strawberry fields.
Females build cup-shaped nests so tightly woven that if rain water gets in, the little chicks can sometimes drown. The male’s responsibility is to keep his mate well fed while she is incubating the three to six eggs.
These birds are another example of the way the Creator has designed each creature for its way of life. We may be sure, as our opening verse indicates, He not only delights in providing food and drink for finches, but finds their sweet songs pleasant to His ear as well.
Another Bible verse says, “All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power.” Psalms 145:10,11. Does your voice praise Him?
ML-04/28/1985