What It Really Means When You Dream About Birds

Unless it's a nightmare directly after watching Alfred Hitchcock's classic horror film The Birds, the appearance of birds in your dreams may make you wonder what that imagery represents in your waking life. These creatures, full of song and able to fly, have always captivated the human spirit, and dreaming about them often encompasses all that wonder and hope we feel when watching a bird soaring freely overhead.

So what does it mean if you dreamed about birds last night? Context is everything. According to Dream Moods, in general, birds symbolize your goals, aspirations and hopes. If birds are chirping or singing in your dream or if the birds are flying free, this represents joy, harmony, balance, and love. It means you might be experiencing spiritual freedom and liberation. If you see baby birds hatching out of their eggs, it can mean delayed success, while seeing a bird nest denotes independence, refuge and security or could mean you are craving a safe place to fall back on while chasing a new endeavor, new opportunities and positive fortunes. 

If, however, the birds in your dream are on the attack, it means you are being pulled in different directions, you feel in conflict with your spirituality. If the birds are trying to get into your house, you may be feeling you aren't following the correct path in life or others are middling and getting in your way. To dream of dead or dying birds suggests disappointments or worry over problems constantly on your mind. 

The breed of bird makes a difference too; while your own personal feelings about certain ones should be taken into account when determining meaning, there are some birds that tend to be associated with certain meanings. For instance, an eagle symbolizes nobility, pride, fierceness, freedom, superiority, courage, and intellect. It also represents rebirth, renewal, and connection to your spiritual side. Meanwhile, seeing a dove could mean peace, tranquility, harmony, affection and innocence. White doves mean loyalty, love, simplicity, gentleness and friendships and can also be thought of as a messenger from a higher spirit (via Dream Moods).

Of course, what is happening to the bird in the dream also matters. For instance, if the eagle is flying free, you may be feeling spiritually free and powerful with a high vantage point of your life, while a bound or caged eagle indicates you are feeling restricted or trapped or cut off from your higher self or from spirituality. To dream of cutting a bird's wings could mean you have secret feelings of wanting to stifle someone or wanting to control someone else by reducing their ability "fly." If, on the other hand, you're feeding birds, it might represent inspiration, encouragement, or trying to overcome something holding you back so that you can fly free. You are literally feeding the idea of freedom or transcendence (via Dream Bible).