Page 106 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God

DEVOTION AMONG ANIMALS

Gouldian finches build their nest in a dark hole in the ground.
Their young have brightly colored green and blue knobs at the cor-
ners of their gapes, which act as reflectors for the little light that fil-
ters through into the deeper corners of the nest.
In some species of birds, colorful gapes serve purposes other
than just indicating the location of the young. They can also indicate
which of the young has recently been fed, and which are still in
need of feeding. The gapes of young linnets are ruddy because of
the blood vessels located just under the skin of the throat. After the
young have been fed, their blood is drawn to their stomach in order
to digest the food. Therefore, those birds that have gone without
food the longest will have the reddest gape. Experiments conducted
in this area have revealed that parent birds utilize these color dif-
ferences when determining which of their youngsters to feed. 104
The way bird behavior harmonizes with their environment is
clear proof that creatures, and all of the natural world they live in,
are the handiwork of one Creator. No string of coincidences can
possibly produce such perfect harmony.

Sandgrouse that
Carry Water to Their
Offspring "There is no creature
In nature, all animals' fea- on the earth which is
tures are in accord with their
not dependent upon
environments. An excellent ex-
God for its provision.
ample of this is sandgrouse,
He knows where it lives
which has no specific place of
and where it dies.
abode in the vast desert. When
They are all
they need to lay eggs, they find
in a Clear Book."
a shallow hole in the sand and
(Qur'an, 11: 6)
lay three eggs at most. As soon
as the chicks hatch, they leave

104