A gifted 12-year-old boy amazed his entire school with viral bird call impressions that quickly caught the attention of major news outlets.
I must tell you watching this sweet young man named Samuel Henderson warmed my heart so deeply today. At just twelve years old he can copy more than a hundred different bird calls with his own mouth. He started this lovely habit back when he was only four years old during a family visit to the local zoo.
A Great-tailed Grackle made a noise and little Samuel just chirped right back at it. His dear mother was right there beside him on television recalling how that wild bird actually talked right back to her boy. Isn’t God’s lovely creation just marvelous when you see how nature connects with our children?
Samuel worked hard on his gift by listening carefully to birds outside in his own yard and practicing with videos on YouTube. He took those wonderful sounds to his school talent show where his classmates cheered him on with great joy.
When he visited news anchor Stephanie Ramos on ABC News recently, he performed several calls live on the air. He made the beautiful chatter of a Blue Jay and then he copied his favorite bird called the Resplendent Quetzal. He even performed a tricky Australian Magpie call that sounded just like a songbird sitting on a fence outside my kitchen window.
His sweet talent has opened up wonderful opportunities for his future. The NBA basketball team known as the Atlanta Hawks hired him to announce their regular season schedule. He performed a special bird call for every single team mascot on their schedule which was such a creative task for a young person.
Samuel admitted that some high pitched bird calls are still too difficult for him to replicate but he works at it continuously.
I was completely speechless when I saw this young man’s talent and it truly made me think deeply about the incredible diversity in God’s creation. He created every single creature so completely different and unique.
We have around eleven thousand different species of birds in our beautiful world today and each one has its own special gifts. Just look at the tiny hummingbird that can fly completely backwards or the brilliant lyrebird that can mimic almost any sound it hears in the forest. Some clever crows can even solve complex puzzles to find their food.
It is so amazing to see how we humans try to mimic those glorious creatures that our Father painted across the skies. May God bless this sweet boy and his wonderful gift.
WATCH: 12-Year-Old Samuel Henderson’s Incredible Bird Calls
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