During the Mabul, did birds die first or last?

Question

Bereishis 7:21 implies the birds died first in the Mabul:

וַיִּגְוַע כָּל־בָּשָׂר הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ בָּעוֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבַחַיָּה וּבְכָל־הַשֶּׁרֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵץ עַל־הָאָרֶץ וְכֹל הָאָדָם׃ - And all flesh that stirred on earth perished — birds, cattle, beasts, and all the things that swarmed upon the earth, and all humankind.

However, two pesukim later (7:23) implies the birds died last:

וַיִּמַח אֶת־כָּל־הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה מֵאָדָם עַד־בְּהֵמָה עַד־רֶמֶשׂ וְעַד־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיִּמָּחוּ מִן־הָאָרֶץ וַיִשָּׁאֶר אַךְ־נֹחַ וַאֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בַּתֵּבָה׃ - All existence on earth was blotted out—humans, cattle, creeping things, and birds of the sky; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

Although maybe the birds were struck first by the heavy rainfall, they also could have flown to the highest available points then hovered for longer - when did they die in the flood?

Answer 1

Ostriches died first because they stupidly buried their heads in the flooded dirt.

Job 39:17 For God caused her to forget wisdom, and He did not give her a share of understanding.

The rest of the birds died last because they could fly to the tops of mountains.

Answer 2

Thank you for the humor Clint Eastwood. The obvious answer is that all creatures died at about the same time. The two orders of verses are a testament to this fact. In a number of other cases the Torah reverses the order to show that there is not special preference to either term mentioned. The most famous is Shemos 20:12 and Devarim 5:16 mitzvah of honoring parents with father preceding the mother:

Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land that your God Hashem is assigning to you.

Honor your father and your mother, as your G-d Hashem has commanded you, that you may long endure, and that you may fare well, in the land that your G-d Hashem is assigning to you.

When describing the mitzvah of reverence the order is reversed Vayikra 19:3:

You shall each revere your mother and your father, and keep My sabbaths: I Hashem am your God.

The obvious halakhic consequence: "The laws of honor and reverence are equally relevant with regard to one's father and mother" (Rabbi Moshe Lieber "The Fifth Commandment" Chapter 1, section A halacha 2).