Willow Warblers - Creation Moments

Matthew 6:26
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

The Willow Warbler is a fascinating little bird. It weighs less than half an ounce and measures about four inches from its beak to the tip of its tail. It likes open woodland with small trees and is particularly happy in areas managed by humans, such as coppices and young plantations. An attractive little bird, it is greenish-brown from above, with a yellowish underside. Willow Warblers are part of the Leaf Warbler, or Phylloscopus baramin (or created kind). There are 77 species in this baramin, but we are interested here in the species Phylloscopus trochilu, especially the subspecies Phylloscopus trochilus yakutensi. This remarkable little bird has the most incredible migratory behavior, traveling about 7,500 miles.

Between April and August, the birds live and breed in eastern Siberia. But as the breeding season ends, the birds begin their long, exhausting flight to sub Saharan Africa, where they will spend the winter, from October through March. Then they begin the 7,500-mile journey back to Siberia.

The reason why these warblers migrate seems clear. They do not like the extremes of temperatures in either of their homes. But a more interesting question is: How do they know where to migrate?

Scientists have speculated that migratory birds are able to sense the Earth’s magnetic field. But those scientists who believe in evolution have to explain how the birds used trial and error to find their routes. A more logical explanation is that God designed them to achieve this remarkable feat.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your word reminds us that we are more valuable than the birds of the air, yet You feed them. Thank You for that wonderful truth. Amen.

Author: Paul F. Taylor

Ref: Upchurch, J. (2017), Journey Home—Astonishing Animal Migrations, < https://answersingenesis.org/animal-behavior/migration/journey-home/ >, accessed 6/3/2020. Image: Willow warbler, Andreas Trepte, www.photo-natur.net, CC BY-SA 2.5 Generic.