Learn about the symbolism and meaning of dead birds in literature and myth, as well as how to safely remove any dead birds you see.
Do Dead Bird Sightings Have Meaning?
Published on Apr. 30, 2025
Birds show up in just about everything, from contemporary movies to ancient myths. Depending on the context, birds can symbolize all sorts of things, from freedom or lack thereof (“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou) to optimism and resilience (“Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson). So when a dead bird shows up in a story or even a dream, that can mean something, too!
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What Do Dead Birds Symbolize in Literature?
Although there’s not necessarily a one-size-fits-all meaning for dead birds in literature, a good place to start is assuming that if a living, flying bird often represents freedom, nature, hope and innocence, a dead or dying bird represents the opposite. A classic example is in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. The main character is told by her father that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, because mockingbirds don’t harm anyone and just want to sing. (In the book, it’s intended as a parallel for a character who is falsely accused of a crime.)
The albatross in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is another famous example. The sailors in the poem see the albatross and consider it a sign of good luck, but when the mariner kills it, the dead albatross takes on a darker meaning. The mariner is forced to wear the dead bird around his neck and it becomes a symbol of bad luck to the sailors as well as a symbol of the mariner’s guilt for killing the bird in the first place.
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Can a Dead Bird Symbolize Something Positive?
In literature, death in general can signify rebirth or transcendence, and the same goes for a dead bird. The phoenix of the ancient Greeks is the perfect example. The myth says that when a phoenix dies, it bursts into flames and out of the ashes a new phoenix is born. The idea of a bird that dies and is reborn appears in other cultures as well.
Bennu from ancient Egypt, a heron-like bird that dies and is reborn, is cited as the inspiration for the phoenix legend.
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Is Seeing a Dead Bird in Real Life a Bad Omen?
Whether you see a dead bird in your dreams or in real life, it’s not odd to wonder if it symbolizes something bad on the horizon. But signs and symbols have the power you give them — a dead bird is only a bad omen if you think it is.
There are cultures that interpret certain living birds as omens of death and the afterlife, such as owls in some Native American tribes, such as Lakota, Cherokee and Ojibwe.
Vultures are also seen as signs of death by some people because of their feeding behavior on dead animals.
How Do I Safely Remove a Dead Bird If I Find One?
If you need to dispose of a dead bird, the first thing you should do is glove up. Never touch a dead bird with your bare hands. “A pair of latex gloves, or even dishwashing gloves should always be worn before handling a dead bird,” says Dr. Richard Blatchford, an associate professor of extension in the department of animal science at the University of California-Davis. “After the bird is disposed of, throw out the gloves, or wash and disinfect them if they’re reusable.”
Richard advises additional steps, as well. “Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Try not to touch your face until your hands have been washed. If your clothes came into contact with the bird, I also suggest changing and washing those.”
If you know the dead bird you’ve found was killed from colliding with a window, you can also add it to dBird, which is a crowd-sourced data project dedicated to tracking bird deaths and injuries from window collisions. The project guides research and conservation efforts dedicated to reducing human-caused hazards to birds.
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Can Humans Get Bird Flu From Touching a Dead Bird?
With outbreaks of avian influenza or “bird flu,” it’s natural to wonder if touching a dead bird could spread the virus. Richard says, “Most of the human infections have come from dairy cattle. People can catch avian flu from prolonged contact with infected animals or animals that are dead but were infected. So handling a dead bird, especially if the cause of death is unknown, does come with risk.”
Because bird flu is a virus, the situation can change day-to-day. Richard recommends the USDA website as a great go-to resource to stay informed. “It lists confirmed cases by state and county level in poultry, wild birds, livestock and mammals,” he says. “The USDA, CDC and state departments of agriculture typically have good resources on staying safe and even tips on what to do if you find a dead animal.”
About the Expert
Richard Blatchford completed his B.S. in psychobiology at Hiram College and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of California-Davis in avian science and animal behavior, respectively. His research focus is on the husbandry, behavior, and welfare of small to large-scale poultry production. He is particularly interested in understanding the challenges facing small-scale and backyard poultry flocks as well as the impacts of housing systems on poultry health and welfare in large-scale facilities.
Sources
- International Journal of Science and Research – The Role of Birds in English Literature and Poetry
- Swarthmore College – The Phoenix Through the Ages
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West – Owls in Native American Cultures
- NASA – Ten Things to Know About Bennu
- JSTOR Daily – Vulture Cultures
