ויקרא, פרק י״א, פסוק י״ח

The biblical catalog of ritually impure birds continues by introducing three specific winged creatures whose very names reveal their distinct natures, physical appearances, and behaviors.

The first of these creatures is identified by some commentators as a bat that takes flight in the dark [רש״י, מזרחי, חזקוני, פרדס יוסף, ברכת אשר], while others understand it to be a type of owl [רד צ הופמן, אוהב גר, נתינה לגר, רלב״ג, אדרת אליהו]. Its name is thought to originate either from its habit of heavily breathing and blowing air [רד צ הופמן], or from the sheer astonishment and shock it evokes in anyone who sees its unusually ugly form [תולדות יצחק, אבן עזרא, חזקוני, פענח רזא, קיצור בעל הטורים]. Fitting its nighttime nature, it is known to produce loud screams and wails in the dark [מזרחי, תורה תמימה, פרדס יוסף]. Interestingly, this same name appears later in the biblical text regarding impure creeping animals, where it refers to a mole. The shared characteristic linking this flying creature and the subterranean mole is their mutual lack of functioning eyes [רש״י, מזרחי, אדרת אליהו]. Still, this connection raises a question for some as to why two vastly different creatures would share an identical name simply because they are both blind [ברכת אשר].

The exact identity of the second bird remains somewhat of a mystery [רלב״ג]. It is often associated with coastal environments [תורה תמימה, פרדס יוסף, אדרת אליהו], with some identifying it as a pelican or a desert bird [נתינה לגר, רד צ הופמן]. A unique perspective suggests it is the cuckoo, named for the distinct sound it makes [שד״ל]. However, the primary approach among commentators is that its name derives from its natural tendency to regurgitate its food [תולדות יצחק, אבן עזרא, חזקוני, תורה תמימה, קיצור בעל הטורים, רד צ הופמן]. This behavior is vividly seen when it travels great distances to gather fish, carrying them in its pouch only to bring them up later to warm them and feed its young [פרדס יוסף].

The third bird is traditionally known by the names shrakrak or yrakrak [תורה תמימה, נתינה לגר, הכתב והקבלה, אדרת אליהו]. There are differing traditions regarding its physical appearance and voice. One description portrays it with a fire-green chest and wings, dark blue feathers, and a hooked beak [הכתב והקבלה]. Another tradition describes a white bird with black wings and a bald, featherless head, claiming it is completely mute [תורה תמימה והכתב והקבלה בשם הפרחון]. This claim of muteness, however, is firmly rejected by others who point to Talmudic sources proving that it chirps constantly. According to this view, its call sounds exactly like the word shrakrak, which is how it earned its traditional nickname [תורה תמימה, הכתב והקבלה, נתינה לגר]. Its biblical name stems from the extraordinary mercy it displays toward its young [רלב״ג, תולדות יצחק, אבן עזרא, חזקוני, קיצור בעל הטורים]. Beyond its care for its offspring, this bird is viewed as a harbinger of good news. Tradition holds that when it appears, mercy descends upon the world in the form of blessed, life-giving rain [תורה תמימה, פרדס יוסף, הכתב והקבלה].