European blackbirds are able to live through the cold German winters because they are designed with God-given instincts and features. To cope with the winter cold, the birds fluff up their feathers. This creates more insulating dead air spaces between their warm bodies and the cold air. Then they tuck their heads inside their feathers, making their bodies into a ball. A round ball is the most heat-conserving shape possible. The ball also protects poorly insulated parts of their bodies like feet, legs, and beak. The birds' need for energy is five times greater at 20 degrees F below zero than it is during the summer. So the blackbirds reduce their energy need by lowering their body temperature at night when they are curled into a ball. As a result, scientists have found that the European blackbirds are in no danger of freezing, even during extremely cold winters.
The design of their feathers, the ability to change their metabolism, and the instincts which allow survival at low temperature all point to the intelligent design of the birds.
From A Closer Look at the Evidence by Kleiss, March 29.
