COCKEREL : The cockerel is reputed to be the bird that signaled the birth of Christ to the world, therefore it is a bird thought to be an enemy of ghosts and negative energies and spirits. Some believe that on the 'Day of Judgment', all cockerels, even those made of wood or iron will crow to wake the dead as well as the living. An ancient belief also indicates that the cockerel crows to welcome the dawn so that all ghosts and any evil and negative forces know it is time to return to the underworld. A white cockerel is thought universally to be lucky whilst the black cockerel attracts negative energies, and in some parts of Europe is thought to be in league with the Devil. Up until the 19th-century a cockerel was buried in the foundations of a church to ward off the Devil. In Scotland (UK) cockerels were once buried at the junction of three streams to cure disease but also to ensure that evil forces and negative energies were cleansed. In Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' the cockerel is referred to as crowing from Christmas Eve through to Christmas morning to ensure that negative forces are kept away. If a cockerel crows at dusk it signals that bad weather will come the next day, but if it crows at night then there is likely to be death in the family. To hear a cockerel crowing as you set off to work is heralded as an omen of good luck for the day.

This bird is also associated by some with curative qualities when rubbed on the body of the sufferer (hence why it is associated also with certain rituals enacted for cleansing of the soul). The bird should be cast out to sea or removed from the area at the very least so that the illness is taken with it. An almost universal belief tells that for any medicine to be affective it should be taken as the cockerel crows.

CROWS : All black birds are seen to be associated with death and the crow is traditionally such a bird being also associated with misfortune. Since ancient times it has been linked with negative forces particularly witchcraft as a crow is reputedly gifted with prophecy. Perhaps this why the bird has been used with fortune telling. One seen flying around a house or sitting alone symbolizes that misfortune is present particularly if heard crowing alone. Should a flock suddenly abandon a nesting area then, like the rook, death is present and also hard times are ahead. It is said that fine weather can be expected if one is seen flying towards the sun, and if seen settled by or walking around water then a storm is imminent.

A traditional American Rhyme indicates that the number of birds seen may have an impact upon your future;

CUCKOO : Generally seen as a lucky bird the first call of the cuckoo indicates that spring has arrived with the event traditionally reported in 'The Times' (UK) newspaper. Whatever state your health is in a the time of hearing the call it is reputed that you will remain this way all year and should make a wish which is supposed to always come true. Since ancient times the call of the cuckoo is said to have many meanings. If you are young then the number of times it calls indicates the time you will marry; if you are already married it indicates the arrival of your next child; and if old, it will indicate how much longer you have to live. Kept so busy, it is also believed that this is the reason why the cuckoo will not have time to build a nest and will therefore place its eggs in the nest of surrogate parents.

In Wales (UK) it is supposed to be unlucky to hear the first call before April 6, and if heard on April 28 the following year will be a prosperous one, whilst in England (UK) it is supposed to be unlucky to hear it when it bed but an omen of good fortune if heard outdoors especially if you have money in your pocket (as you are never supposed to fall on hard times again) or standing on grass. On hearing the bird the money should be taken out of the pocket and spat on according to old Welsh (UK) folklore. Hearing the bird after August in some European countries is considered unlucky as this is when the bird should have left for warmer climates; if heard the following year will be an unlucky one. When heard from the right of you the call is said to indicate good luck for the next year, with the reverse being true from the left, especially if heard whilst looking at the floor. In Scotland (UK) the number of calls is traditionally thought to indicate the number of years you have left to live.

If you are a man, then you should remove a shoe when you hear the call of the cuckoo and look inside. If you find a hair, this will relate to the colour of hair that your future partner will have. If you are a woman, the number of notes made in the bird song will indicate how many years you must wait until you will marry. The same is true for an older person, as the number of whole cuckoo calls is reputed to indicate the number of years the person has left to live.

Here is a poem by Andrew Young about the much loved cuckoo;

'Cuckoo-spit' is a white frothy substance often found on plants used by certain insects as a form of cocoon (a temporary home). 'Cuckoo buds' are small buttercup buds. The cuckoo has nothing directly to do with the plants. The Latin term 'Cuckold' can be translated as a description of a 'deceived husband', which perhaps relates to the nesting habit of the bird. Many people once believed that the cuckoo turned into a hawk and hibernated inside hills before migration was understood.

CURLEW : A bird connected with sailors, who, it is said, traditionally believe that if one was seen flying overhead whilst calling, then a storm was brewing. Anyone who hears it should not go to sea. Some believed that it was the call of a drowned friend providing a warning. A bird generally associated with negativity, it is specially considered bad luck to hear it calling at night. In Scotland the curlew was and still is by some called a 'whaup', and once believed to be associated with a long-beaked goblin. The goblin would come at night and take those who were evil-doers away, never to be seen again.