Everyday, we observe birds and other animals doing what comes natural. In flight, by their numbers, or by their calls, animals were used in augury to indicate some event in the near or far future, usually bad. Birds and serpents were most often used in augury, but other animals might also indicate some future happenings as well.
Bird Auguries
Any bird in flight could be interpreted by the direction of its flight. Flight to the the east was propitious, but flight toward the west was a bad omen. If the bird flew back and forth low to the ground, it indicated an unpropitious omen. Horizontal flight meant some purpose would be revealed. A very active bird meant strong action would be needed.
Two crows seen flying over a house indicated a wedding in the future.
Hearing the first cuckoo of the season was a harbinger of good luck for the rest of the season.
The dove or any white bird was also a harbinger of bad luck. If it were heard cooing in the woods, it was a warning against thieves. One seen or heard at the window was a death omen.
Eagles were often indications of bad circumstances to come. If it made a cry, it would bring calamity. Appearing over a plain, it was an indicator of death.
Any flight of migratory geese or ducks meant travel or news. If they were seen flying toward the moon, loneliness or news of death was approaching.
Magpies were especially usefull in augury. One alone meant bad luck; a pair meant love and friendship. One old maxim said : One for sorrow. Two for mirth. Three for a wedding. Four for a birth.
An owl or a raven heard hooting or cawing indicated illness or death.
One raven by itself was lucky, but two meant misfortune in the future, and three brought evil.
Robins, aside from being Spring's harbingers, could also predict the weather with their song. If a robin was heard singing in the bush, the weather would be foul. If it were heard singing from the barn, warm weather was in store.
Rooks, like magpies, were a rich source of material for augury. If they congregated on dead branches, there would be rain before nightfall. A good day was indicated by their choosing a living branch. If they flew far from their nests in the morning, there would be no rain. Aerial twists and dives meant bad weather was coming.
If a rooster crowed at night, there would be betrayal among friends.
Seagulls flying far inland indicated a tempest at sea, but one alone meant bad news was coming.
Swallows also indicated poor circumstances, though not as disasterous as eagles. Flying low, they indicated a spoilt crop. Flying high, a drought was coming.
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