Chickens

• Chickens have been known to be able to serve as good luck charms in war situations.
• Chicken broth, of course, is a good remedy for a cold.

Cranes

• A crane can be embroidered on clothes to achieve longevity.
• It is a symbol of health, fidelity, and joining.
• Visualizations of cranes taking away sickness work wonders.

Crows

• In areas where crows are indigenous, go out and voice a question. A crow's cry coming from the southeast means an enemy is coming; from the south, a visit from a friend is coming; from the southwest, you will unexpectedly receive wealth.
• Crow feathers are good luck charms for traveling.
• Thousands of divination methods are based on crows' flights and numbers in the East.

Cuckoo

• A sign of spring.
• If you hear a cuckoo on April 14 and have change in your pocket, you will have a prosperous year.
• They are a symbol of weddings.
• They are a useful symbol for transformations, second sight, and benevolence.

Doves

• A symbol of peace and love.
• Good for meditating on with reference to getting past a block of some kind, provoking fortune, and putting to rest inner turmoil.
• Seeing one could mean a divine message is on its way.

Eagles

• Seeing an eagle can forecast a storm.
• A shielding symbol for any object that needs protection.
• Eagles are thought to carry the souls of important people to the next life.

Geese

• Hearing the cackling of geese can forecast dangers, most notably raids or riots.
• Goose down is used for pillows as a protective agent.
• Geese are emblems of new beginnings.

Hawks

• Seeing a hawk can mean divine intervention will change the course of a life.
• A good symbol to meditate on when seeking sharper figurative vision.

Hummingbirds

• Giving someone a hummingbird feather works as a love charm.
• Have the strange reputation of being unable to lie; useful in truth meditations.

Magpies

• Hearing a magpie in the East means you will soon hear good news. Hearing a magpie in the West indicates trouble between a married couple. To get rid of this, spit at the bird, and the trouble will not occur, so they say.
• Envisioning a magpie and trying to mentally warn another person of bad circumstances is very effective.

Owls

• Owls are thought to be messengers from the gods.
• Giving another person an owl feather makes them unable to lie to themselves.
• If you hear an owl hoot three times, or it flies near you, you should check your motivation and make sure you are not going astray.

Peacocks

• The cry of a peacock foretells rain.
• Peacock feathers can be used for protection and anything water-related.
• It symbolizes immortality, royalty, dignity, authority, and compassion in different cultures.

Ravens

• If going into battle and a raven is spotted, it means sure victory.
• Ravens have been known to guide travelers to their intended stopping points.
• If all the ravens living in the area suddenly vacate, it is a sign of famine or disaster.
• The raven is a good symbol to carve on a drum and to meditate on for links to the Earth.

Robins

• If a robin pecks on a window, it means a child is about to be conceived.
• The robin is a symbol of compassion and fertility.

Roosters

• Roosters announce the dawn.
• Rooster feathers help in divining the answer to a difficult matter.

Storks

• Storks supposedly guard the souls of the elderly and bring them comfort.
• Storks can be seen as judges and lawmakers.
• A stork sighting can mean children on the way.
• The stork is a symbol of respect for elders.

Swans

• A swan's song is also called a final farewell, believed to be dedicated to the god Apollo.
• Swans are associated with the moon.

Wrens

• A wren's feather is a charm against disaster or drowning.
• Wrens are a sacred magickal bird, inspiring for nearly any kind of ritual or magickal working.

This information was expanded and organized from information in Patricia Telesco's The Magick of Folk Wisdom, © 1995.