1.  Author?  1973.  Title?  South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research 1(3): 165 (online at Ancestry.com):

Lancaster County Deed Book A Page 191. 30 Sept. 1782. John Bird of Craven County, planter, and Hannah his wife, convey to Thomas Frizle of the same place, planter, for 500 pounds current money, a piece of land containing 150 acres on Flat Creek, part of a tract of 400 acres conveyed to (not given) by James Bratin, on William Bratton's line, Clammons, Gardner's corner. Sampson Hough Gale Frizle John (X) Bird Hannah (X) Bird Sworn by Gale Frisel 4 May 1784 before Fred'k Kimball, J.P.

Were there two John BIRDs?  Or did our subject marry twice?

2a.  Census Index:  U.S. Selected Counties, 1790 (Broderbund CD-311):

1790

Bird, John

SC

Edgefield Dist.

p. 65

01-05-02-00-00

This page number is not the page number in the census, but the page number in the next source.

2b.  United States Bureau of the Census.  1907/8.  Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States taken in the year 1790.  Gov't Printing Office, Washington, DC (online in the Archives of USGenWeb, along with digitized images of the original pages).

1790

SC

96 Dist.

Edgefield Co.

p. 511c

John Bird

01-05-02-00-00

These data indicate:

Gender and Type	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 free white males	16 or over	in or bef. 1774	= John
5 free white males	15 or under	1774-1790	= Son A = Son B = Son C = Son D = Son E
2 free white females	all ages	in or bef. 1790	= wife = Daughter A

3.  1800 Census, Union Co., SC (extracted by Paul R. Sarratt, Jr.; online in the Archives of SCGenWeb).

1800

SC

Union Co.

BIRD

John

p.  241

10211-21010-04

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	9 or under	1790-1800	= Son F
2 males	16-25	1774-1784	= Son B, C, D, or E = Son A, B, C, or D
1 male	26-44	1755-1774	= John
1 male	45 or over	in or bef. 1755	= Ryderus
2 females	9 or under	1790-1800	= Daughter C = Daughter B
1 female	10-15	1784-1790	= Daughter A
1 female	26-44	1755-1774	= wife
4 slaves	all ages	in or bef. 1800	= ? ? ? ?

This record could be interpreted as John being the eldest male, but it's a better fit with Reyderus, which also solves the problem of where he was.  Three sons have either died or left the nest.  The fact that the missing males appear to be among the younger ones suggests the former.

4.  Myra Sydney (Davis) Dipple.  nd.  Chronology of the Life of Col. Henry Clark.  Extract pertaining to John BIRD: 

13 Dec 1801	Rydarus Clark, with sons-in-law, John Bird and John Gillham, sold a tract of land on Gilkey's creek of Thicketty Creek* for $2570.  This seems to be the disposal of Rydarus's estate, recorded 25 June, 1803.  John and Sarah Gillham moved to Wanda, Madison Co., Illnois, in June of 1803.	Union Co., SC, Deed Book G, Page 279.
* This land is now in Cherokee Co., SC.