Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Of the 87 species of kingfisher found in the world, only three find their way into the United States and two of them manage to just sneak over the border from Mexico. One of those two is the Green Kingfisher which can be found in southern Texas and Arizona. Like most in this family, it makes its living diving for fish, in this case small ones one or two inches long. To this, it supplements its diet with aquatic insects. While it is considered rare in these two states, it is quite common in Mexico and reaches all the way to northern Chile and Argentina.
Unlike the Belted Kingfisher commonly found across much of North America, it is the male that sports the rufous breast band while the female wears a single green band. Again, comparing it to the Belted, it is about 2/3 its size. Perhaps it is these smaller dimensions that allow it to inhabit extremely small streams which provide suitable nesting sites. In this setting it is often found perched on branches which hang low over the water. From this position it heads over the water in search of food but seldom hovers before plunging into the depths below.
We seem to have a passion for that which is rare, and its scarcity seems to increase its value in our mind’s eye. Consider examples of this in Scripture where articles are referred to as rare or scarce: perfume, jewels, lips that speak knowledge, the beauty of a woman, gold, a rare crop, rare woods and ivory, and the list goes on. Paul uses this same measure of worth to encourage us to see the value of Christ’s sacrifice for us: “In human experience it is a rare thing for one man to give his life for another, even if the latter be a good man, though there have been a few who have had the courage to do it. Yet the proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-9 J.B. Phillips New Testament) And in turn – this must have a lot to say about how much our Savior values each one of us.