Bird Beacons
Birds are woven into cultures across the globe. For many, they represent new beginnings, strength, and hope. Bird-like figures permeate spiritual folklore. Our feathered friends fill the art world, from colorful prints to bold sculptures.
Over the course of my life, a few birds have become increasingly meaningful, spiritually or otherwise. Here are three of my bird beacons:
American Robin
Image Credit: Trac Vu / Unsplash
The American robin was the first bird that I learned to identify as a child. As winter gave way to spring, my mother would note the arrival of the bronze-breasted creatures in our yard. We could hear their pleasant song through cracked windows and screen doors on warmer days.
“Spring has arrived,” she’d announce with a smile as robins prodded the ground for worms and insects.
Years later, I learned that many robins are year-round residents, and that it’s not hard to find one on a cold winter day — but I refuse to let that ruin the magic. In the Foster household, robins will forever be known as the joyful harbingers of spring.
Northern Cardinal
Image Credit: Patrice Bouchard / Unsplash
In addition to teaching me about American robins, my mother introduced me to the belief that Northern cardinals serve as spiritual messengers for deceased loved ones. This sentiment is not uncommon. Fans of Kacey Musgraves may recall a lyric from her 2024 release “Cardinal”: “Cardinal, are you bringing me a message from the other side?”
I’m not a particularly religious person, but I’ve always found comfort in the thought that these vibrant red (or, in the female’s case, pale brown) beings represent loved ones who have left this life but are still with us in spirit.
Both of my mother’s parents have passed away, so whenever we see a male and female cardinal together, we stop to greet them. “Hello, Grandma and Grandpa!”
Downy Woodpecker
The term “spark bird” refers the species that excites a person’s interest in birding. Mine is the smallest woodpecker in North America.
Image Credit: Patrice Bouchard / Unsplash
In the spring of 2022, I took a course on the biology and diversity of birds that lured me into the birding community. Before that class, I had never devoted time to patiently sitting, watching, and identifying birds in nature. By the end of the semester, I was hooked, equipped with identification apps from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, field guides, and a snazzy pair of binoculars.
Our first field trip brought us to Massachusetts’ North Shore to look at seabirds. As walked toward the coastline, our professor raised his hand to halt the group.
“I hear a downy woodpecker,” he said confidently.
I was amazed by his ability to notice the woodpecker’s call above the voices of twenty chit-chatting undergraduates. Sure enough, a downy woodpecker was creeping up the trunk of a tree ahead of us. It was the first new species on my life list that semester, and I was charmed by its black-and-white plumage and dainty size.
That moment set me off on a lifelong birding journey. I love the thrill of finding species that I’ve never seen before, but I will always pause to admire my spark bird.
