Birds at Prayer | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 21, 1873

Birds at Prayer.

W. C. Prime, in his “I Go a Fishing,” relates the following curious custom of birds: “A——’s birds yonder have, beyond question, means of exchanging ideas.” “You would think so if you saw them at prayers.” “Wha-at?” “Yes; at prayers. It isn’t anything less. There are birds of every country under the whole heavens, and with voices as various as the languages of men, and you hear what a wild concert of delight they keep up all the day long. But every day this entire group of birds assemble in silence, and if it isn’t a prayer meeting, I don’t know what it is. There is no forewarning that we can detect. While they are all chattering, singing, playing, here, there, and everywhere, suddenly one of them, sometimes one and sometimes another, utters a peculiar call, totally distinct from his ordinary note. Whatever bird it is, the call is much the same, and instantly every bird stops his play and his noise. They gather in rows on the perches, shorten their necks, so as almost to sink their heads into their feathers, and make no motion of the wing, head, or foot, for a space of thirty minutes, and often longer. It is almost a daily occurrence. Ordinarily, you cannot approach the aviary without frightening some of the birds and producing a sharp commotion; but while this exercise is going on, nothing disturbs them. They are birds of every land and climate, as you see; but this is their custom, and no one fails to attend, or behaves ill in meeting. You may think it something like mesmerism, for the leader keeps up his curious call-note throughout the service. The instant it is ended, they break up with a shout of delight, and rush around, singing and having a jolly time of it, as if thoroughly refreshed.”