Birds Dream Interpretation

Birds in Dreams: Symbolism and Interpretation

General Symbolism of Birds in Dreams

Birds in dreams usually represent freedom, imagination, thoughts, and ideas that require freedom to manifest. Since ancient Pagan times, birds have fascinated humans, often symbolizing vehicles for the soul and possessing mystical powers. Birds are commonly associated with both the light and dark sides of the soul.

Caged Bird

A caged bird can symbolize restraint or entrapment.

Flying Bird

A bird flying freely represents aspirations, desires, and the spirit soaring toward the Divine.

Plumage

A display of plumage may represent the dreamer’s facade, how they perceive themselves.

Flock of Birds

A flock of birds, especially with both winged and plucked birds, can indicate confusion between material and spiritual concerns.

Golden-Winged Bird

A golden-winged bird signifies spiritual aspirations, often associated with the symbolism of fire.

High-Flying Bird

A high-flying bird in a dream suggests spiritual awareness or the part of the self that seeks knowledge. For men, it can represent the Anima (See Also: Introduction), and for women, it represents the Self, in a spiritual sense.

White/Black Birds

White and black birds often symbolize the two aspects of the Anima or Self. The black bird represents the dark, neglected side, while the white bird symbolizes the open, free side.

Pet Bird

Dreaming of a pet bird can reflect personal emotions or remembered happiness, affected by personal circumstances.

Specific Birds and Their Meanings

Chicken

The chicken can represent growth through group belonging, but also stupidity or cowardice.

Cock

The cock symbolizes a new day and vigilance, representing the masculine principle and courage.

Crow

A crow may warn of death but can also represent wisdom and deviousness.

Cuckoo

The cuckoo’s meaning is ambivalent, representing deviousness or unrequited love, but also symbolizing change and newness.

Dove

The dove represents peace, calm, and the soul after a storm, symbolizing the peaceful side of human nature.

Duck

A duck in a dream may denote superficiality or childishness.

Eagle

The eagle symbolizes domination, perceptiveness, farsightedness, and supremacy. It can indicate a desire to dominate or a sense of being threatened.

Falcon

The falcon, like the eagle, represents freedom, hope, and victory over lust.

Goose

The goose symbolizes watchfulness, love, and new life. A flock of geese can represent intuition or warnings of disaster.

Hen

The hen symbolizes providence, maternal care, and procreation, and can indicate feminine dominance if heard crowing in a dream.

Ibis

The ibis symbolizes perseverance and aspiration.

Kingfisher

The kingfisher represents dignity and calmness.

Lark

The lark symbolizes transcendence of the mundane.

Magpie/Jackdaw

The magpie, often associated with theft, can symbolize good news or a threat to something valuable.

Ostrich

The ostrich denotes avoidance of responsibility.

Owl

The owl represents wisdom, strategy, and night, sometimes symbolizing death.

Peacock

The peacock indicates growth in understanding and symbolizes rebirth and resurrection, like the phoenix.

Pelican

The pelican symbolizes sacrifice, devotion, and maternal love.

Phoenix

The phoenix is a universal symbol of rebirth, resurrection, and immortality (dying to live).

Raven

The raven can symbolize sin, prophecy, or wisdom. Its meaning is often ambivalent.

Seagull

The seagull symbolizes freedom and power.

Sparrow

The sparrow represents business and industry.

Stork

The stork is a symbol of new life and new beginnings.

Swallow

The swallow symbolizes hope and the coming of spring.

Swan

The swan represents the soul of man, often symbolizing a peaceful death.

Turkey

The turkey, traditionally associated with celebrations, indicates good times ahead.

Vulture/Buzzard

The vulture represents scavenging and can be linked to the destructive feminine aspect.

Woodpecker

The woodpecker symbolizes guardianship and is reputed to have magical powers in mythology.

Birds in Dreams: Symbols of Freedom, Transformation, and Insight

The Unique Symbolism of Birds

What sets birds apart is their ability to fly, escaping the boundaries and limitations of the earth. For this reason, birds are universally recognized as symbols of transformation, representing the progress toward wholeness and harmony. Associated with the element of air—which is linked to aspirations and ideals—birds also symbolize ambition and the quest for enlightenment. In Greek mythology, birds are often seen as messengers of the gods, showing that, in psychological terms, the unconscious mind offers wisdom and insight through bird imagery in dreams.

Birds and Objectivity

Birds have the ability to take a bird’s-eye view of the world, symbolizing the ability to gain an objective overview of situations. This perspective often appears in dreams when the dreamer needs to see the bigger picture and detach from the details of a situation.

Birds as Symbols of Relationships

Birds in dreams can also represent relationships with other people. For example, thieving birds like magpies may suggest a threat to a relationship or the possibility of an affair. Territorial birds such as blackbirds might symbolize jealousy. Baby birds can symbolize relationships with children or dependents. In Freudian terms, birds were seen as sexual symbols representing the penis, while Jung viewed birds as messengers from the unconscious, offering insight and wisdom. Birds can also symbolize the feminine principle or the anima in a man’s dream.

Interpreting Birds in Your Dreams

Birds in dreams represent freedom, transformation, insight, objectivity, relationships, intuition, and the ability to see the bigger picture. If you see a bird alight, appear, or take flight in your dream, ask yourself whether you desire to escape from pressures or responsibilities. Consider whether you seek freedom from a particular relationship, debt, or situation. Do you long to travel or rise above a current issue? Alternatively, could your unconscious be referring to a ‘flight of fancy,’ a wish or hope in your waking life?

The Condition of the Bird

The condition or health of the bird in your dream is crucial. If the bird is suffering, this may suggest frustration. A flying or healthy bird, on the other hand, indicates feelings of freedom and liberation.

Common Bird Superstitions in Dream Interpretation

For centuries, dreaming of birds was considered a good omen. However, many negative superstitions surround birds. Here are some common beliefs that might influence your dream interpretation:

• Albatross: Sign of bad luck.
• Black crow: Sign of misfortune.
• Buzzard: Beware of gossip.
• Cock: Good news if it crows.
• Dove: Peace and tranquility.
• Eagle: Success in business.
• Goose: Improvement in fortune.
• Hawk: A bright future ahead.
• Magpie: A change of plan.
• Owl: Disappointment or wisdom.
• Stork: Family problems.
• Turkey: Bad luck, unless you are eating or killing it.

Birds in Dreams: Symbols of Independence, Growth, and Transformation

Example: The Bird and Independence

‘I was standing outside the house of my teens, with my mother. She had a very young bird on a long ribbon and the bird was flying very high in the sky.’ - (Pauline)

In this example, Pauline uses the bird to symbolize her own desire for independence from her mother's influence, opinions, and decisions. Later in the dream, her mother hands her the ribbon, symbolizing the offer of independence. However, as soon as Pauline lets go of the ribbon, a large black bird attacks the young bird, representing the internalized negative aspects of her mother, such as possessiveness. These internalized feelings include the self-controls and standards Pauline learned from her mother, which she carries within herself even in her mother’s absence.

Birds as Symbols of Growth and Maturity

The life cycle of a bird closely mirrors human stages of maturity, often symbolizing the self. In dreams, birds can represent various aspects of personal growth and independence:

• Hatching from the egg: Symbolizes birth and infancy.
• The nest: Represents home, family environment, security, or even the womb.
• Leaving the nest: Indicates gaining independence.
• Making a nest: Symbolizes home building or parental urges.
• Flying: Represents rising above challenges, independence, freedom, and self-expression.

Freud and Jung’s Perspectives on Birds in Dreams

Freud believed that birds represent the male phallus, and flying symbolizes the sexual act. In many languages, the word 'bird' is used to refer to women. In Italy, it is a reference to the penis. Jung, on the other hand, saw birds as symbols of the spirit or soul and viewed them as messengers from the unconscious mind, offering insight and wisdom.

Birds as Symbols of Death and Survival

Birds are often associated with death and survival. For example, a bluebird may represent the spirit or soul after death, while a baby bird may symbolize the dreamer's own childhood.

Additional Example: The Large Baby Bird

‘An old lady made room for me to sit at the end of one of the three seats of a bus. As we drove away, a very large chicken-size baby bird flew in. It had short stubby wings and yellow down but flew expertly. I believe it first landed on the lady and chirped squeakily. But in its squeaks, it actually spoke, saying it had lost its mother. It sounded as if it were crying.’ - (Andrew)

This dream again references the mother figure, as the bird first connects with the old lady before expressing its loss, highlighting the difficulty of gaining independence from maternal influence.

Common Bird Idioms and Their Meanings

• Charm the birds from the trees: Refers to someone’s ability to persuade others easily.
• A bird told me: Suggests hearing a rumor or secret.
• Bird has flown: Indicates that someone or something has left or escaped.
• Bird in the hand: Refers to valuing what you already have rather than risking it for something better.
• Free as a bird: Symbolizes complete freedom.
• Odd bird: Refers to someone who is unusual or eccentric.

Birds in Dreams: Messengers and Messages

Universal Landscape: Birds as Messengers

Universal Landscape: Birds are often symbolic messengers in dreams, representing messages or insights that the dreamer may need to understand or interpret.

Dreaming Lens: Understanding the Type of Bird in Your Dream

Dreaming Lens: Consider the kind of bird that appeared in your dream. Was it a familiar bird from nature or a strange, fantastical version? What size was the bird in relation to other elements in the dream? Was the bird friendly or menacing? Was it free or caged? The type of bird and its characteristics provide important clues to understanding the message.

Personal Focus: The Symbolic Meaning of Birds

Personal Focus: In dream interpretation, all animals represent an aspect of the collective unconscious. Birds, with their ability to fly, are connected to intellect, higher thoughts, and the realm of the mind. Historically, birds were used as messengers, a practice that has left a powerful symbolic imprint in the human psyche. This connection makes birds in dreams potent carriers of messages.

Birds in Mythology: Odin's Ravens

In Nordic mythology, Odin, the ruler of Valhalla, had two ravens—Hugin and Munin—who represented thought and memory. These messengers would travel the world and bring back important information, symbolizing how birds in dreams can represent knowledge, insight, or important messages.

A Bird's Eye View: Insight and Perspective

The phrase "a bird’s eye view" symbolizes the heightened perspective birds provide as they fly through the skies. In dreams, this can represent a higher level of awareness or insight into your current situation, offering clarity or wisdom.

Interpreting the Bird in Your Dream

• Fearsome bird of prey: May indicate messages of fear, danger, or threats in your waking life.
• Songbird: May relate to positive or uplifting messages, although the lack of words may make interpretation more elusive.
• Caged bird: Could signify feelings of limitation or restriction in some area of your life.
• Bird in free flight: Represents a desire for freedom, independence, or release from current constraints.
• Flock of birds: Symbolizes the power of group mentality. Your reaction to the flock’s movement can indicate whether you find conformity comforting or restrictive.

Researching Specific Bird Species

If a specific species of bird appears in your dream, consider researching its symbolism. Connecting the bird to its traditional or cultural meanings may provide deeper insight into the message your dream is conveying.

Interpreting Bird Dreams: Flying, Wings, and Symbolism

A type of flying dream, especially if you have sprouted wings, carries significant meaning depending on various factors. The actions of the bird and its context are crucial for interpretation.

Birds Carrying Objects

If the bird is carrying something to you, or away from you, what it bears is significant to its meaning. For example, a bird carrying an olive branch traditionally symbolizes forgiveness and peace.

Predatory Birds

If the birds are scavengers preying on something See Buzzard, Carcass, this indicates that you, or someone you know, have taken unfair advantage of a situation. Alternatively, if the birds are picking relentlessly, this may reveal inner trauma over teasing from those in your peer group.

Birds and Symbolism in Dreams

According to Edgar Cayce, transcendental joy and beauty are represented, especially if the bird is a bluebird. Parakeets equate to relationships on the same level. However, if the bird is confined, this represents another type of cage dream, which can reveal an inability to freely verbalize your thoughts or a relationship in which you feel confined.

Love Birds in a Cage

Love birds in a cage reveal a love that isn’t totally mature or trusting, so it resorts to manipulation to keep the two parties together.

Bird Songs

A bird singing sweetly reveals pleasure, honor, and success. Alternatively, it can indicate someone who always has something nice to say.

Chattering Birds

Birds chattering represent matters of communication, especially gossip or secrets (e.g., “a little bird told me”).

See Also: Nest, Wings, Flying, Buzzard, Carcass.

The Spiritual Symbolism of Birds in Dreams: Freedom, Ambitions, and Inner Desires

Birds have been a symbol of spirituality since the time of ancient Egypt, and this symbolism extends beyond the West. The Hindu tradition also suggests that birds represent higher states of being. In oneiric terms, dreaming of birds often reveals the desire for freedom. However, each bird has its own specific symbolism.

Symbolism of Specific Birds

The eagle, for example, is associated with the ambitions of conquest and power. On the other hand, if you dream of a flock of birds flying high in the sky, it may signify that you are on the path to achieving your goals.

Focus and Overcommitment

Dreams of birds may advise you to concentrate on the goals you have set, as you may be taking on too many tasks at once.

Caged Birds and Personal Freedom

If the bird is caged, it is important to ask yourself whether this reflects how you feel in real life. Perhaps the bird is a representation of the dreamer, symbolizing a desire for freedom and independence.

Freudian and Jungian Interpretations

According to the Freudian school, dreaming of birds may suggest unsatisfied erotic desires. Jung, however, associates birds with the soul, seeing them as symbols of thoughts and ideas that fly freely.

Prosperity and Omen of Birds

To see birds in a dream is generally a harbinger of prosperity and health. If you hear them singing, it is considered one of the most favorable omens. Catching a bird in your dream promises happiness, while caging birds is often seen as a sign of misfortune. Talking birds are linked to success and good business.

See Also: Bird, Wings.

Material aspects: Birds in dreams usually represent freedom, imagination, thoughts and ideas which, by their nature, need freedom to be able to become evident.

Dreaming of them in particular scenarios has the following meanings: a caged bird can indicate restraint or entrapment.

A bird flying freely represents aspirations and desires and possibly the spirit soaring towards the divine.

A display of plumage indicates our facade – the way we see ourselves and how we present ourselves to the outside world.

A flock of birds containing both winged and plucked birds indicates confusion over bodily or material considerations, as opposed to spiritual aspirations. Birds can sometimes denote the feminine, free side of the being.

The golden-winged bird has the same significance as fire and, therefore, indicates spiritual aspirations.

A high-flying bird indicates spiritual awareness or that part in us that seeks knowledge.

Freudians regard this as an erotic dream. Oneiro- critics give it a varied meaning according to the nature of the birds. Many small birds signify lawsuits; to catch birds with lime denotes unfair triumph over enemies; singing birds foretell joy and delight; to the poor a dream of birds implies many friends; to the rich it forecasts flight of fortune.

The dream of Uta, mother of Kremhild, who married Attila, the Hun, and sent for her kinsmen to avenge Siegfried’s death, is symbolic. “Stay here, good heroes,” she warns her children; “last night I dreamed an evil dream, that all the birds in the land were dead.” The treachery of the Huns justified the evil omen. In Christian symbolism a bird represents the soul; the bird of Paradise especially bears this significance.

Birds are complex symbols with many possible meanings.

As creatures that fly aloft with no attachment to the ground, they can represent freedom, either physical or psychological. Because they navigate in an unseen—and thus seemingly spiritual—medium, birds can have a variety of different religious meanings, as messengers of the divine (e.g., the Holy Spirit), as symbols of the soul, as heralds of spiritual aspiration (the desire to “soar aloft”), and so on. Blackbirds were traditionally thought of as omens of death, although they can also represent the shadow side of the self. Various other meanings are associated with particular kinds of birds (e.g., vultures). Also, birds in dreams sometimes allude to such metaphors as “bird-brained.”

It is a favorable dream to see birds of beautiful plumage.

A wealthy and happy partner is near if a woman has dreams of this nature. Moulting and songless birds, denotes merciless and inhuman treatment of the outcast and fallen by people of wealth.

To see a wounded bird, is fateful of deep sorrow caused by erring offspring.

To see flying birds, is a sign of prosperity to the dreamer. All disagreeable environments will vanish before the wave of prospective good.

To catch birds, is not at all bad.

To hear them speak, is owning one’s inability to perform tasks that demand great clearness of perception.

To kill than with a gun, is disaster from dearth of harvest.

Birds are messengers, and a dream with birds in it may be trying to get you to recognize some information that is flying around in your consciousness, just waiting to be recognized. Birds also connect with a vantage point and the ability to see farther by virtue of their unobstructed view of things. They can also fly directly to a location without the impediments of obstacles on the ground.

A dream with a bird or birds in it may be asking you what you would see if you could see farther than your limited viewpoint allows and where you would go if you weren’t hindered by perceived obstacles in front of you.

The type of bird will have additional meaning for you.

Birds are generally considered a most fortunate dream omen, especially so if they are brightly colored, singing, and/or flying.

Dead or injured birds are an indication of coming worries unless they are birds of prey, in which case the worries will be short-lived.

Birds’ eggs in a nest signify money, broken birds’ eggs forecast disappointment, birds hatching in a nest indicate delayed profits.

An empty nest is a warning not to be drawn into family arguments.

To be aware in your dream of the beak of a bird is a forecast of a change of residence, whether for better or worse depends on the other details of the dream.

Birds as Messengers: Spiritual Guidance and Life's Purpose in Dreams

Birds are often seen as messengers delivering sacred information to the dreamer from spiritual dimensions. Soaring high, they may represent an opportunity to free yourself from the constraints of the world and the limitations you impose on yourself.

Symbolism of Different Bird Species

Each species and variety of bird possesses particular qualities and attributes that may be relevant to your life or to fulfilling your life’s purpose.

See Also: Canary, Cardinal, Crane, Dove, Eagle, Egret, Falcon, Flamingo, Hawk, Mynah bird, Ostrich, Parrot, Raven, Sparrow, Stork, Toucan, Vulture.

Carl Jung said that birds represent thoughts while birds in flight symbolize moving and changing thoughts. Birds are generally associated with freedom and abandon. In old dream interpretation books, birds are considered lucky omens (except for blackbirds, which are generally negative). Doves and eagles are generally spiritual symbols. Your dream depends on its details, but if the birds in your dream were flying free, it may be symbolic of spiritual, psychological, or physical freedom.

If you see birds in a dream, it’s generally a positive sign. If the birds are flying, singing or chirping, then this indicates harmony and pleasant times ahead. If the birds are pecking at you, then it’s likely you feel under attack in some way. This could be through constant criticism, or nasty comments. The type of bird is also symbolic. Blackbirds and robins bring good fortune, crows carry wisdom, and owls often represent the spirits of the dead and can help you connect with lost loved ones.

Birds are messengers from our intuitive selves.

Dreaming of birds suggests you need to look beyond your current situation and find a different way of approaching the problem. You can also expect to get help from those in a higher position than you.

• Dream birds are also messengers and symbols of freedom and high flying ambition. Expect messages and news of an unexpected or surprising nature.

As far back as pagan times, man has been fascinated by birds and by flight. Birds were believed to be vehicles for the soul and to have the ability to carry the soul to heaven. As a result, birds were very often invested with magical and mystical powers. Birds have come to represent the soul – both its dark and its enlightened side.

To see birds perched on a tree or in a cage unexpected happiness for you.

If the birds are flying, prosperity for the dreamer.

If you kill a bird, unprofitable months ahead.

A wounded bird indicates sadness caused by some member of the family. Singing birds, sadness. Talking birds, a warning to be careful about gossip.

Usually considered to be of an uncertain nature—if you are poor and struggling. Birds indicate a coming improvement in your circumstances. But if you are wealthy, you may expect a reverse.

It is a good sign if the Birds show beautiful plumage.

If the Birds are singing it is always fortunate.

To dream of a mourning dove or a hoot owl h an omen of deep unhappincss through the ih fortune of one you love.

Colorful plumage cm any bird of which you dream means that your life partner will have wealth and you will be happy.

It is indicative of a successful ending to a love affair.

1. Freedom of spirit, imagination.

2. Prosperity (in flight).

3. Elevation of status, economic or social (taking flight).

4. Do­mestic security, happiness (nesting).

5. Transcending adversity, especially emotional or spiritual.

Psychological and Emotional Perspective on Birds in Dreams

Psychological/Emotional Perspective: Psychologically, humans often project their own qualities onto objects outside of themselves. In dreams, birds, whose behavior is purely instinctive, can serve as symbols to help us understand human behavior. This projection allows individuals to explore their own instincts, emotions, and reactions through the imagery of birds in their dreams.

1. Messengers angels or demons, Gen. 40:17-19

2. The Holy Spirit; Luke 3:22;

3. A church or the Church; Acts 14:27

4. Look at the inherent characteristics of the bird and the colour

Gives gender-specific: In a man’s dream, a bird can represent the anima. In a woman’s dream, it suggests the self, in the sense of the spiritual self.

To see birds flying are very unlucky; it denotes sorrowful setback in circumstances. Poor persons may become better especially if they hear birds sing.

Prosperity is predicted if you dream of seeing birds of any kind on the wing.

Dream Interpretation: Birds and Their Symbolism

Lucky Numbers

Lucky Numbers: 11-21-28-29-40-42

Birds and Their Meanings in Dreams

• Aviary, at an: Warning to stop leaving work for social events.
• Beak, seeing a: Voice your solutions; you need some form of relief.
• Being bitten by a bird: Keep your opinions to yourself.
• Bluebird: The spirit is in limbo, deciding which life to live next.
• Blue jay, catching a: Immediate marriage.
• Buzzard flying above: An unusual scandal will make you vulnerable to loss.
• Buzzard, flying away: Decayed attitudes have been cleared; the solution is within your reach.
• Cackle at dawn, hearing: Warning that care is needed.
• Cage, putting in a: Business will not live up to your lofty goals.
• Crane, a flying: A momentous occasion will alter the best-laid plans.
• Flamingo, pink: Distant travel and exciting chance events.
• Flock of birds: You will be part of those heard.
• Flying bird: Your soul will be saved by a wave of prosperity.
• Greenfinch, killing a: You are confronted with insurmountable obstacles.
• Hummingbird: Rapid hovering over affairs in multiple locations.
• Injured bird: Persecution by an enemy.
• Mockingbird singing in the night: An extended period of calm contentment.
• Phoenix rising above the ashes: Spiritual rebirth.
• Predatory birds: Your enemies are perched for attack.
• Seabirds: Freedom of intellect if you leave the present situation.
• Singing bird, hearing: Great joy is in store for you as you are pardoned for past offenses.
• Wounded bird: Deep grief caused by malfeasance of children.

Bird’s Nest and Symbolism

• Bird’s Nest Lucky Numbers: 10-13-24-35-37-42
• Animal eating a bird's nest: A change in surroundings soon.
• Bird's eggs in a nest: Excellent engagement results in a huge dowry.
• Broken bird's nest: Loss of balance.
• Chicks coming out of the nest: Good news will be received.
• Empty bird's nest: Termination of affairs.
• One bird in a nest: A package with a gift will be received.
• Several birds in a nest: Happiness within the family.