Omen birds flying into windows

The British take this superstition — and the threat of wily foxes — so seriously that a team of four cares for the birds round-the-clock, ensuring they live a pampered life [source: BBC ]. What bird could ask for more? You're strolling around outside on your lunch break when, all of a sudden, a bird lets loose above you, depositing a messy smear of droppings on your head. At first glance, this might sound like the start of a really bad day, but superstitious types believe it's actually a sign of luck.

Even better, you don't have to let the mess which some people use as skin treatment! Sailors believe that bird droppings should never be removed from the vessel until after the next rainstorm, which will probably take care of most of the cleanup anyway [source: Martinelli ].

While most superstitions about bird droppings are positive, some older British tales warn that if the droppings come from a rook, it's actually a punishment rather than a blessing. Getting bombed by the droppings of a rook is penance for not wearing new clothes on Easter [source: Tate]. Maybe it's time to invest in a new Sunday suit. If a wild bird somehow manages to enter your home — through a door, window or chimney — you'll suffer a bout of bad luck, and some legends say it foreshadows the death of someone in the home.

Keep bad luck and death at bay by keeping birds out in all their forms. That means no bird-patterned wallpaper, crockery or artwork either — as even images of birds can spell doom. In fact, rumor has it that actress Lucille Ball of "I Love Lucy" fame was so fearful of birds in the home that she refused to stay in any hotel with bird-themed wallpaper, pictures or accessories [source : Mikkelson ].

This superstition also means you should never bring an injured or sick bird indoors either. Care for it outdoors if you must, but custom says it's dangerous to bring it into your home [source: The Diagram Group].

But even the most vigilant homeowners can't avoid all bird-related bad luck. Blackbirds, who have long been seen as messengers of the dead, can bring death and malice simply by hanging around your home. Other birds, including herons, bitterns and crows, may also bring bad luck or news of death if they decide to circle the skies above your property [source: Webster]. A bird that ends up splattered across your car windshield is a sure sign of bad luck — for both you and the bird.

Some believe accidental bird-window impacts just zap your luck, while others describe them as an omen of death. No matter what your beliefs, it's interesting to note that an estimated 80 million birds in the United States meet their end each year by flying into car windows, which means plenty of bad luck to go around.

While it makes sense that faster speeds mean more birds making contact with car windows, researchers have found that birds do pretty well at avoiding cars — up to the point where cars start significantly exceeding the speed of predators.

At this threshold, the bird's internal system that tells it when to get out of the way breaks down, making it nearly impossible for it to avoid your car. This may not be much comfort when you're cleaning feathers off your windshield, but at least it can help you to not take the incident too personally [source: Ball ]. The ancient Romans observed the flight paths of birds to help them make decisions about the future. After all, since the birds were thought to be somehow communicating with the gods while flying around above the Earth, it kind of made sense that they might actually be able to provide some helpful information to those of us stranded on the ground with no direct line to the gods.

The Romans even had a name for it: auspicy , which is just a fancy way of describing the process of divining the future from birds. And now you know where the word "auspicious" comes from. The augur would stand in a sacred spot, facing east, then wait to see which way the birds flew.

Birds flying to the right meant good vibes, while those flying to the left encouraged caution. A bird flying toward the diviner meant good luck, while one flying away meant opportunities would be hard to come by. The higher the birds flew, the better the future, while low-flying birds were a sign of bad things to come [source: Webster]. Of course, this is one of those superstitions that was easy to misinterpret depending on where you were located, how you were standing and just how good you were at determining direction with a simple glance.

Sailors believe that seeing an albatross while at sea is a sign of good luck, while killing one spells doom and despair. The mighty albatross often flies alongside ships hoping to get ahold of some tasty garbage or scraps upon which it can feast.

It's particularly persistent when compared to other birds and will continue following ships long after others have given up and turned back toward dry land. Legend has it that these birds feel such affinity for ships because they contain the souls of drowned sailors, so killing one is akin to killing a fellow seaman [source: Webster]. Anyone who kills one of these birds is doomed to bear a tremendous burden — or hang an albatross around his neck — a fate masterfully illustrated in Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Before the creation of the Internet and round-the-clock news networks, people had little to work with in terms of gaining information or making predictions about future conditions. To make a little more sense out of life, and perhaps in attempt to gain control, people living centuries ago simply learned to take cues from nature, including the calls and sounds of birds.

Legend has it that a songbird that cries while flying brings good luck, while a night bird calling by day — or a bird of prey screaming at any time of day — signifies poor fortune.

Superstitious folks also derive information from the direction that birdcalls travel: Calls from the north mean tragedy, while calls from the south mean a successful harvest. Birdcalls from the east are good for romance, while calls from the west offer all-around good luck. Of course, all bets are off when it comes to crow calls, which always spell bad news, no matter what direction they're traveling — unless the crow happens to be near its nest.

If it caws three times in a row, beware: It's a sign that death is on the way [source: The Diagram Group]. Pueblo Indians of red-haired falcons call red eagle. Owl is also known as the night eagle, because it is a powerful bird and government for a month like the eagle rules the sun. For tribes from the forests of Southeastern America, the owl is the master of the night and the patron saint of all who must crawl or work when the darkness falls.

Raven is a magic teacher and is also called a great cheater or creator. Sometimes they call him a great grandfather, a man — a raven. Raven, together with the Hawk, renewed the world after a dive. According to the legend, Raven stole the sun, which is why today he believes that he is attracted by everything that is bright, but he is also the messenger of the Great Spirit. He keeps holy laws and is considered to announce changes, so he is a bird of transformation that brings new challenges.

Although ornithomancy as a kind of prophecy existed in many cultures, it was mostly written in ancient Rome, where it is most commonly used.

It sprang up in the sacred space or templum, but it does not mean the building, but rather the part of the heavens or the soil that the prophet determines. He then turned east and with his curved rod divided that imaginary part of the sky into quarters, so that the south was on his right and the north from the left.

He waited for the first bird to appear, remembered the place to land, the entry and descent of its flight from that point to the point where it disappeared. But it also prophesied out of the flock, and so did the prophets and the common people.

If more than one species of bird appears, then those lights indicate the steps that should be taken urgently, while those dark ones mean delay. If a question is raised with a possible choice, then the flight of sacred birds means that it is going to action, and those dark ones are waiting. Sometimes, light and dark birds find themselves in the same flock, so fate is then interpreted by which one of them flying away.

If a bird flies right or left, it means that some business venture will flow smoothly and therefore have to work confidently. If you fly to the left or right, it is interpreted as a sign that you should wait, seek advice, or do not give too many statements for some time.

If a bird flies in the direction of the prophet, it means that happier times are coming. If it goes away, it announces fewer opportunities, but it can also be interpreted as an old sorrow that leaves us. Do you know what does it mean when a bird hits your window?

In this article, I will explain everything to you and talk about 5 superstitions. Birds hitting your window are viewed by some traditions as just messengers. Some believe the bird represents goodwill, as well as those who think it symbolizes death. Generally speaking, when a bird landing on a window represents a change. However, the fact that birds hits your windows is natural is not the point of this post.

It makes no sense to fuss over superstitious beliefs and lose sleep. Knowing that a change is on the way will make a big difference! Your window may have been crashed into by a bird that saw its reflection in the sky. When a bird crashes into your window and lingers dazed for a prolonged period or suddenly dies, you should be prepared for a spiritual death or a positive change.

But, on the other hand, seeing a bird could be a sign that your faith has waned and that your animal guide is always there, no matter what the circumstance may be. Pecking at your window for an extended period, hitting your window, and dying, and entering your home and dying, the message is clear.

Death , illness , or danger always indicates a bird flying into your window and perishes. To get a better understanding of the messages, the birds are conveying. Therefore, it would be wise to think about tapping into your spiritual guides. As a potent warning, birds hitting windows should not be taken lightly. However, it represents a more definitive end to an event in your life at the moment, as many imagine.