Birds of the Bible

Although the park covers a relatively small area, it provides a haven for the genet, the red deer, the wild boar, and the elusive Spanish lynx, one of the most endangered mammals in Europe.  Since most of the animals are nocturnal, however, a daytime visitor is much more likely to spot the magnificent birds of prey that abound in the area.  Most of these Mediterranean raptors are also typical of Bible lands. 

In the middle of the 19th century, naturalists H.B. Tristram noticed that practically everywhere he traveled in Palestine, he spotted griffon vultures circling overhead.  The same could be said of the Monfrague, where 400 pairs  nest in the rocky cliffs above their  communal nests, speckling the evening sky with their huge silhouettes.

White storks, which build their nests on old buildings in many parts of Europe, still nest in oak trees in the Monfrague area, where they thrive. (Psalm 104:17)  Sharing the thermals with the storks are imperial and golden eagles, which patiently soar and glide, looking far into the distance' in their constant search for prey. -Job 39:27-29.

More agile and abundant than the eagles are the red kites, whose numbers swell during the summer months. Also, sharp-sighted black kites constantly patrol the park's rivers, always on the lookout for fish they can snatch from the water. -Job 28:7.

Other birds of prey, such as the eagle owl and the barn owl, take to the sky when night falls.  The eagle owl nests on the isolated rocky crags of Monfrague, a similar habitat to the desolate ruins of ancient Babylon, where the prophet Isaiah predicted it would also make its home.  -Isaiah 13:21.

Next time: Protect Your Hearing!

From the Awake! magazine, 2002