You would think that by this time, we would know all there is to know about birds, but an international group of researchers found that soaring birds are designed differently from non-soaring birds. Using computer (CT) scans, the researchers found that soaring birds have an air-filled sac attached to their lungs. This subpectoral diverticulum air sac exists in diverse soaring birds, including bald eagles, turkey vultures, brown pelicans, and western gulls. The researchers did not find it in any non-soaring birds. This feature shows that some birds are designed to soar.
The subpectoral diverticulum appears to boost the power of the flight muscles, allowing the birds to stay aloft for long periods without flapping their wings. As the researchers studied 68 species broadly representing the diversity of birds on Earth, they found the air sac only in the lines of soaring birds. Lead author Dr. Emma Schachner of the University of Florida said, “This evolutionary pattern strongly suggests that this unique structure is functionally significant for soaring flight.” But how can evolution explain that lines of soaring birds “evolved” this trait independently? Evolutionary biologists call it “convergent evolution,” but we suggest it shows intelligent design.
The diversity seen in birds is amazing. Some, such as penguins, don’t fly but travel underwater. Others, including ostriches, don’t fly but travel by foot on dry land. Now, we see that soaring birds are designed to soar. An essential point to remember is that evolution does not create anything. It simply modifies what has already been created. Finding a way to create an air sac from an existing structure to supplement flight is a challenge for evolutionists. This structure shows that some birds were designed to soar from the start.
In Job 38-39, God poses questions for Job to answer, and He draws on the diversity He built into birds. The raven in Job 38:41 is very different from the ostrich of Job 39:13-16. In Job 39:26-27, God asks about the hawk and the eagle. Job couldn’t answer those questions, and we are still trying to answer some of them today. It is a wonderful time to be alive as we learn new things about the handiwork of God.
— John N. Clayton © 2025
References: National Wildlife magazine for the winter of 2025, page 9, and the journal Nature.