To start off, I learned about the "Garuda Bird," the national bird of Indonesia, because Jenny wants to learn more. I learned that it is actually the Javan Hawk-Eagle and to write the letter, I used two websites: Widescreen Arkive and the Global Raptor Information Network.
The letter I sent looked like this:
If you would like to learn about the animal or would like to share this letter with your sponsored child, here is what I shared:
Name,
Greetings from Florida in the name of the Lord Jesus! How are you? I enjoyed hearing in your letter that you want to learn more about the Garuda bird, the national bird of your country. Although I know you said you are not able to see it because it is extinct, I enjoyed finding photos of it and learning more about it.
I learned that the Garuda bird's scientific name is Nisaetus bartelsi and that it is also called the Javan Hawk-Eagle. The Javan Hawk-Eagle is an endangered species and is declining in population. But thankfully it is not extinct yet! The Javan Hawk-Eagles only live on the island of Java in Indonesia.
Javan Hawk Eagles eat small mammals, birds, snakes, and lizards. Mammals are their preferred prey, which includes tree shrews, squirrels, bats, rats, and other rodents. They usually hunt from a perch, but have been observed swooping down to catch prey on a tree or on the ground. Although these birds can fly, they prefer to sit and walk on branches. The Javan Hawk-Eagle can grow up to 61 centimeters tall!
The Javan Hawk-Eagles are monogamous, which means that they remain with the same partner year after year, mating between January and June, and just one egg is laid each year. The female incubates the egg for 47 days, during which time the male hunts to feed both himself and the female. After hatching, the female also hunts, providing the chick with meat for a relatively extended period. Even after fledging, the young bird will remain with its parents, living in their territory for more than a year. It will be three or four years before it finds a life-long mate and breeds.
I would like to close by sharing Isaiah 40:31,
"But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
I send my love! And I am praying for you and your family.
Hannah
I'm enjoying learning about all these animals and I think our kids will too!
