Author: Marcus Ellery

The rooster’s korrk-kok crow, the wing whirr that follows it, the flush cackle, hen clucks and chick peeps: what each pheasant sound means and when you hear it.

Ducks symbolize resilience, adaptability and the protection of family. What a duck means when it crosses your path, lands in your yard, calls at night or appears in pairs.

The scarlet ibis gets its red feathers from the crabs and shrimp it eats. Here is how the color develops, why it is not a flamingo, and how rare the bird really is.

Flamingo symbolism means balance, visibility and community. What seeing one signifies in folklore, Christian tradition, dreams and on American lawns.

Seagull droppings are a 2 to 4 in white splash with a dark center. How to tell them from pigeon, goose and bat droppings, and how to clean them safely.

Pigeons stand for peace, fidelity and news arriving. The traditions behind the symbolism, the meaning by color, and what a visit to your window is said to mean.

Seeing a parrot is read as a sign about your own words. Here is what the bird means in Native American, Christian, Hindu and East Asian tradition, plus the readings for a parrot at the window, in a dream or found dead.

Hoots, trills, shrieks, and screams sorted by sound first, with the owl behind each call, the season it peaks, and the animals that fake it.

Geese stand for loyalty, teamwork and the journey home. What the goose means in Native American, Celtic, Christian, East Asian, Egyptian and Roman tradition, situation by situation.