Almost every animal has been read as a good sign in one place and a bad one in another. The entries below set the readings side by side, with the source for each, so you can see how much of a meaning comes from the animal and how much from the culture doing the reading.
In modern belief, a white feather is a sign of protection, or a message from someone who has died. Older sources treat a feather as a symbol of truth and lightness. A feather is also what ordinary birds drop all year, so finding one is common.
Crows and ravens have been read as omens of death, as messengers, and as signs of intelligence, depending on the culture. In several ancient traditions they were watched closely because they were believed to carry knowledge from somewhere beyond.
In ancient Greece the owl stood for wisdom and was the bird of Athena. In Roman writing and in British and Irish folklore, an owl near a house was read as an omen of death. The same bird carries both meanings.
The butterfly is one of the oldest symbols of the soul. Ancient Greek used one word for both, and Christian imagery uses it for resurrection. In modern belief, a butterfly landing near you is often read as a visit from someone who has died.
In the United States, a black cat crossing your path is usually called bad luck. In Britain it is often called good luck. Ancient Egypt treated cats as sacred. The meaning is a local custom rather than a fact about cats.
In British and Irish folklore, a single magpie is a bad omen and a pair is a good one. People often salute a lone magpie or greet it politely to turn the luck aside. The counting rhyme has many versions.
In British and European custom, a ladybird landing on you is a sign of good luck. The name is usually traced to the Virgin Mary, called Our Lady, though the stories about how it began are later tellings.
