Yes, the lovely fairy tern “also cometh forth from the Lord,” as He, the Creator of all, delighted in every work of His hands. It is among birds that many of His most beautiful creatures are seen. Peacocks, cardinals, hummingbirds and many others have colorful feathers that draw our admiration. But the fairy tern is not among these, for it has no color except for a dark beak and black feathers around its soft, dark eyes. It is pure white and most attractive in its appearance, especially when in the air with outspread wings.
Fairy terns are natives of Hawaii, Midway and other Pacific islands and do not migrate as most other terns do. They are great fishers, gliding smoothly just above the waves to snatch fish without stopping. They continue fishing while holding each catch crosswise in their beaks and return to land with a dozen or so at a time.
This bird draws the attention of visitors to its home areas because of a most peculiar manner of laying eggs, incubating them and raising their young. They seem entirely disinterested in making nests, but deposit an egg on a rocky bluff or balance it on a bare branch, a piece of stranded driftwood, or almost any convenient, available spot. Surprisingly, these eggs that appear so carelessly placed and look as though they would fall at any moment, seldom do, and then only because of a strong wind or something meddling with them.
The parents themselves are quite careful about this, incubating the egg by settling very gently on it, covering it with soft underfeathers. Those who have watched this never fail to be surprised at the skill with which both parents take on this incubating responsibility, particularly since it takes a month for the egg to hatch.
Again, as the baby bird breaks out of its shell, an observer would think surely it would fall from its support, and the egg and chick would be smashed below. But no, this hardly ever happens. The little new-born one has been given a sense of balance that few creatures have so early in life, and has also been provided with strong, long claws to hold securely to its odd home right from the start.
Chicks are cared for by both parents for about two months, fed mostly on small fish which they swallow whole. After that time the instincts given by the Creator, and what they have learned by watching their parents, enable them to go about on their own.
Although it is not likely that the Psalmist ever saw the pure-white fairy tern, he no doubt observed the care other birds display for their little ones when he wrote: “He [the Lord God] shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust.” Psalms 91:44He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:4). Have you put your trust in Him?
ML-05/26/1986