Birds of the Bible - Part Two

Dr. Steve Carr has been been a birder since 1949. He has studied birds on all seven continents, and was on the board of directors of the Salt Lake Birders and the Utah Ornithological Society (UOS). He is also a past president of the UOS and is currently the Secretary of the Utah Bird Records Committee.

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This next session deals entirely with the birds that were proscribed as food by Jehovah, through Moses, in the Old Testament. In fact, most of the birds mentioned in the Bible are those prohibited by the Mosaic Law to be eaten. Moses instructed the Israelites in Leviticus, chapter 11, then reinforced the message in Deuteronomy, chapter 14. Jewish rabbinical authorities are at odds as to why the prohibition. Some say the Mosaic Law of foods was to test the Israelites as to their faithfulness. Others think it had to do with the possibly poisonous nature of the birds (or other kinds of animals) so therefore was a health measure. As you read along, you’ll see that most of these birds are either scavengers, eating all sorts of potentially poisonous things, or birds of prey that eat unclean mammals and reptiles, or wading birds that eat poisonous amphibians in addition to fish (which were edible according to the Mosaic Law).

As we did in Part One, we are comparing the different versions of the Old Testament below.

Eagle	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:13	Eagle	Eagle	Eagle	Eagle
Dt. 14:12	Eagle	Eagle	Eagle	Eagle

Several large eagles inhabit the Middle East. This is the White-tailed Eagle, a fairly common eagle in Palestine. In this case, all four versions agree on Eagle.

Ossifrage	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:13	Ossifrage	Vulture	Vulture	Vulture
Dt. 14:12	Ossifrage	Vulture	Vulture	Vulture

The British King James Translators apparently didn’t know what this bird was, so just left an earlier Latin word. Later translators have discovered that the word is ‘Vulture.’ Ossifrage, (Latin components), ossi = bone; frage = break. This is Latin for the “break-bone” bird.

The Eurasian Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture) is a large vulture that takes bones high in the air and drops them repeatedly onto rocks below to break them, so it can extract the marrow from the bones.

Osprey	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:13	Ospray	Black Vulture	Osprey	Black Vulture
Dt. 14:12	Ospray	Black Vulture	Osprey	Black Vulture

The Osprey is strictly a fish-eating bird, which may not have been prohibited, even though it belongs to the general hawk/eagle order. A Vulture of some kind is more likely correct.

The Old World vultures are in a different family from the New World ones, and, like the new world Black Vulture, there is also an Old World Black Vulture, found in Turkey. The bird mentioned, however, may be the Griffon Vulture, which is fairly common in the Middle East.

Vulture	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:14	Vulture	Red Kite	Kite	Falcons
Dt. 14:13	Vulture	Red Kite	Kites, various	Falcon

There is quite a variety of identifications to this verse.

The Eurasian Kestrel may be the Falcon that the Jewish Torah translates. It is common in both Europe and the Middle East – to the King James translators as well as the Jewish translators.

Kite	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:14	Kite	Black Kite	Falcons, various	Kite
Dt. 14:13	Kite	Black Kite	Falcons, various	Kite

There is a general consensus to Kite in most of the versions.

The Black Kite here, a slim type of soaring hawk, is common in Middle East, although not in Great Britain. 

Glede	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:14	(not mentioned)	(not mentioned)	(not mentioned)	(not mentioned)
Dt. 14:13	Glede	Falcon	Falcons, various	Buzzard

The Glede is an archaic name for the Red Kite that is found in Western Europe and the U.K. but not the Middle East. The Red Kite is similar to the Black Kite but, naturally, has more rufous coloration.

The Hebrew word is ‘Buzzard.’ There is a common Long-legged Buzzard in the Middle East that is a buteo. Buzzard may be a little more generic than Glede, but is probably more accurate. Also, Buzzard does not mean ‘vulture’ in Europe nor the Middle East, like it often does in North America.

Raven	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:15	Raven and kin	Raven, any kind	Crows, various	Raven, varieties
Dt. 14:14	Raven and kin	Raven, any kind	Crows, various	Raven, varieties

“Its kin or kind” refers to crows and jays – all which are scavengers.

The Hooded Crow is extremely common in Israel and the Middle East.

Owl/Ostrich	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:16	Owl	Horned Owl	Ostrich	Ostrich
Dt. 14:15	Owl	Horned Owl	Ostrich	Ostrich

This verse shows the difference in translations. There is a great difference in size between the largest Owl and the Ostrich. We’ll mention several Owls later on. The correct identification is undoubtedly Ostrich.

Nighthawk	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:16	Night Hawk	Screech Owl	Nightjar	Nighthawk
Dt. 14:15	Night Hawk	Screech Owl	Nightjar	Nighthawk

General consensus is that this interpretation is some form of Goatsucker.

This is the European Nightjar, a common migrant seen in Eurasia.

Cuckow/Gull	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:16	Cuckow	Gull	Gull	Sea Gull
Dt. 14:15	Cuckow	Gull	Gull	Sea Gull

None of the authorities seem to know what the word Cuckow is, but it probably isn’t the Common Cuckoo of Europe, which also breeds in Palestine. The name in the Jewish Torah is ‘Seagull’, as is at least one footnote in one edition of the King James version.

Aside from the King James version, the other versions have ‘Gull’ or ‘Seagull.’ This is the Black-headed Gull of the Middle East. (In the Spanish translation of the King James version, this word is ‘Gaviota,’ which means ‘Seagull.’)

Hawk	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:16	Hawk, and kin	Hawk, any kind	Hawks, various	Hawks, variety
Dt. 14:15	Hawk, and kin	Hawk, any kind	Hawks, various	Hawk, variety

As can be seen, there is no disagreement here with the basic identification. There are a large number of buteos, accipiters, kites, falcons, and harriers, any or all of which could be accounted for by the general term of Hawk.

Little Owl	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:17	Little Owl	Little Owl	Owl	Little Owl
Dt. 14:16	Little Owl	Little Owl	Owl	Little Owl

Again, there is basic agreement as to some kind of Owl, or probably small owl.

There is an actual species in Eurasia called Little Owl, shown here, in the same genus as the Burrowing Owl of the western hemisphere.

Cormorant	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:17	Cormorant	Cormorant	Cormorant	Cormorant
Dt. 14:16	Cormorant	Great Owl	Ibis	Cormorant

A little bit of disagreement is seen among the versions. The bird mentioned is probably not a large owl, as big owls are mentioned in other verses. It probably isn’t an ibis, of which there are a couple of species.

There are several types of Cormorants in Eurasia, the most common is the Shag, shown here.   

Great Owl	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:17	Great Owl	Great Owl	Screech Owl	Great Owl
Dt. 14:16	Great Owl	White Owl	Screech Owl	Great Owl

Basic agreement is that of a large Owl.

There are several large Owls in Europe and Asia. The Northern Eagle Owl, related to the Great Horned Owl of the western hemisphere, is especially common in Palestine.

Swan	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:18	Swan	White Owl	Barn Owl	White Owl
Dt. 14:17	Swan	Desert Owl	Desert Owl	White Owl

This is an obvious mistranslation in the King James version, as the Swan belongs to the ‘Duck-Goose-Swan’ family, which are used for food and, apparently, always have been.

The Barn Owl is the only large, white Owl in the Middle East, and is obviously more likely than the Swan. (Photo by the author)

Pelican	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:18	Pelican	Desert Owl	Desert Owl	Pelican
Dt. 14:17	Pelican	Osprey	Buzzard	Pelican

There is quiet a variety of translations for this bird. Even though Pelicans and Cormorants are thought of as being strictly fish-eaters, apparently there is some other reason for their prohibition. There are three kinds of pelicans in the Middle East, such as the Great White Pelican.

Gier Eagle	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:18	Gier Eagle	Osprey	Buzzard	Bustard
Dt. 14:17	Gier Eagle	Cormorant	Cormorant	Bustard

A King James footnote states that the Hebrew has ‘Vulture.’ Some Jewish authorities think it is most likely the Egyptian Vulture, yet the Jewish Torah has Bustard, which is not even distantly related to any of the other birds in this verse.

Why the Torah has Bustard is unknown. This is the Houbara Bustard, the only really common Bustard to be seen in Israel.

Stork	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:19	Stork	Stork	Stork	Stork
Dt. 14:18	Stork	Stork	Stork	Stork

The translators were unanimous with this identification. White Storks are fairly common in Palestine. Other storks can be found in the Middle East, but not in Israel.

Herons	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:19	Heron	Heron, any kind	Herons, various	Herons, variety
Dt. 14:18	Heron	Heron, any kind	Herons, various	Herons, variety

Heron and variety include Egrets and Bitterns. The common Gray Heron of Eurasia is very similar to the Great Blue Heron of the Americas.

Lapwing	King James Version	New International Version	Catholic New American Bible	Jewish Tanakh Torah
Lev. 11:19	Lapwing	Hoopoe	Hoopoe	Hoopoe
Dt. 14:18	Lapwing	Hoopoe	Hoopoe	Hoopoe

The King James translators apparently had no idea what the interpretation of the original Hebrew word was, as the Northern Lapwing is not even distantly related to the Hoopoe. And, although they can both be seen in Palestine, the Lapwing is very uncommon there but is common in Great Britain. The Hoopoe, on the other hand, is fairly common in the Middle East and continental Europe but uncommon in the U.K.

The Northern Lapwing is in the Plover family, which nowadays generally are considered to be edible, although they are small.

The now generally recognized Hebrew word, previously translated as Lapwing, is Hoopoe, a completely different and unusual bird, more closely related to woodpeckers, that subsists on insects, like beetles, etc. The bird spends most of its time on the ground. The Eurasian Hoopoe is one of the most distinctive birds in the eastern hemisphere. Some colorations appear to be an almost bright peach color with the outstanding contrast of black and white wings and tail. When excited or when flying, the long backward-directed head feathers are erected into a prominent crest over the top of the head. Then there is the unusual call. The bird produces a call that sounds like, “upupu, upupu, upupu,” with the accent over the second syllable. In fact, this peculiar burping call is the genus name for the bird – Upupa. 

Hopefully, these two articles on the Birds of the Bible have served to increase one’s understanding of how birds were considered in ancient days. Apparent, also, is that the birds that we see today in the eastern hemisphere are essentially unchanged from 2000-3000 or more years ago. We can postulate that the same effect can be understood concerning the western hemisphere as well. As much as birders, particularly, and the populace in general enjoy the birds we see and hear, we realize that the enjoyment and appreciation of our feathered neighbors extends as far back as knowledge exists and will project that far into futurity. The last article in this series will discuss many birds seen in the Middle East at the present.

References: All photos in Birds of the Bible – Part Two are borrowed from Wikipedia unless otherwise indicated.