Explore vulture symbolism to learn about the surprising resilience, beauty, and charm of the mysterious vulture. Get inspired by the intelligence and patience of the vulture, and embrace this often misunderstood spirit animal and its potential role in your life.
Table of contents
- Vulture Symbolism and Meaning
- Vulture Native American Symbolism
- Vulture Eastern Symbolism
- Vulture Christianity Symbolism
- Vulture Celtic Symbolism
- Vulture African Symbolism
- Vulture in Dreams
- Vulture Encounters and Omens
- Vulture Mythology and Folklore
- Vulture Spirit Animal
- Vulture Totem Animal
- Vulture Power Animal
- Vulture Tattoo Meaning
Vulture Symbolism and Meaning
Vultures are one of nature’s most misunderstood creatures. They are often associated with death and decay, but those who know them well know that vulture’s personalities are surprisingly sweet and gentle and that the vulture’s role in nature is important and supportive. Let’s explore some vulture fun facts as we learn about the good and bad symbolism associated with vultures.
Vultures Represent Death
You might have heard the old cliche that a vulture landing on your roof means that death will soon follow in your household. Cliches like this one are born out of truth, and vultures do have a meaningful association with death, but that doesn’t mean that you need to be afraid of them.
Vultures eat carrion; that’s decomposing flesh. They’re attracted to the smell of dead things and have powerful noses that can detect the chemicals released by freshly dead animals at rates of just a few parts per trillion— this means that they can sense a dead body from as far away as a mile or more!
Vultures and Purification
Eating dead things means that vultures are connected with death, but when they eat dead creatures, they also remove potential sources of disease and contamination form the environment. They’re a critical part of the natural cycle of death, decay, and regrowth. Without them, dead things might pile up and sicken other creatures in their habitat.
Even if this bird is associated with death and other sinister ideas, the turkey vultures symbolism also refers to cleansing, adaptability, patience, loyalty, innovation, community, renewal and tolerance.
What’s more, turkey vultures even use special strategies to purify their feathers. They sunbathe to expose their plumage to ultraviolet (UV) radiation which kills bacteria and keeps them safe from the potential effects of their carrion diet. Talk about cleansing! The vulture is both clean and innovative!
Vultures and Gentleness
Vultures, especially bald-headed ones like the common Turkey Vulture, have an intimidating look to them. But did you know they pretty much never kill? That’s right! Turkey Vultures don’t even have grasping talons. They have flat feet like a chicken! They exclusively feed on things that have already died and are therefore basically harmless.
Furthermore, rescue organizations that have had to rehabilitate vultures actually have a hard time convincing them to return to the wild because they are naturally friendly and often form deep bonds with their rescuers. They look hardcore, but they’re total teddy bears! Vultures may represent misunderstandings, hasty judgments, kind people with rough exteriors, pacifism, or gentleness in general.
Vulture Culture Meaning
If you’ve spent enough time on the internet, you might have heard of “vulture culture.” This usually refers to the hobby of bone collecting, but sometimes also refers to a general interest in the misunderstood, macabre, or “creepy” as well as an interest in nature and collecting in general.
Vulture Symbolism Around the World
Vultures are culturally important to various historical and current societies all around the world. We’ll explore some of these in detail. For some, they have magical powers and are even seen as Gods. The vulture is full of contradictions, representing darkness, mystery, divine power, and great wisdom at the same time.
Vulture Native American Symbolism
The symbolism of vultures in the Native American culture is mostly negative. In some regions, vultures are seen as both unclean and symbolic of death and disaster.
A vulture flying is a sign of bad luck or even danger. In some Native American legends, the vulture’s spiritual meaning is deceit and aggression.
One of these legends is that of the Miraculous Twins of Brazilian Indian legend. After being born from their mother, a Jaguar who was killed for insulting her mother in law, the twins create the Earth for people to live on and capture the Sun and the Moon from the greedy Vulture people guarded and kept the heavenly bodies for themselves. These twins eventually send the Sun and Moon to the sky so that everyone could use them.
On the other hand, some Native American myths give the Turkey Vulture a more heroic and powerful role. In one myth, the Turkey Vulture’s bald head and “creepy” appearance is a result of a selfless act. In this story, the sun has fallen from the sky and the birds all struggle to return it without getting burnt. The Turkey Vulture, who at this time was a majestic bird with shining feathers on its whole body (including its head), volunteers to help. The Turkey Vulture succeeds but is badly burned. Its head feathers burn away leaving pink burnt skin beneath and the rest of its feathers are stained black.
Vulture Eastern Symbolism
The vulture’s meaning in Tibet is of a sacred bird because it feeds on dead bodies, not on living beings, thus cleaning the country at the same time. Tibetans associate vultures with death, rebirth, cleanliness, and peace.
They have a festival dedicated to these birds, which is associated with the idea of reincarnation.
In this ritual, the Tibetans provide the vultures with a human corpse to devour and offer in this way the soul of the person the chance to another life. The spiritual meaning of vultures, in this case, is of a Dakini, a Tibetan angel.
So, they view this ritual as giving the dead’s soul to the angels to take to heaven and await the next incarnation.
During this festival, monks must keep people in a good mood so that the spirit can leave this plane in peace.
The remaining bones are broken into pieces and given to other scavenger birds. By doing this ritual, people believe that they also save the smaller birds from the vultures, as Buddha sacrificed his flesh to save a dove from this bird.
Vulture Christianity symbolism
The vulture’s spiritual meaning in the Bible is of an unclean animal because they feed on corpses. These birds are linked to the kingdom of death, and leaving the bodies in their care was a sign of exclusion from society and God.
In Christianity, the vulture’s meaning is one of judgment, shame, and a sick spiritual condition. Their symbolism is almost always negative.
Babylon the Great is illustrated as a place for evil, demons, and vultures. These birds are even linked to the Devil, leading you astray from the path of life and hunting you when you’re far away from Christ’s spiritual ways.
Jesus refers to the vultures as the birds that will gather the corpses, cleaning the fowl from between the right people at the end of times, in the book of Revelations.
The symbolism of a vulture circling is sometimes linked to a demon waiting for its chance to lead you astray. It knows you are about to slip and make the wrong choices, and it is patient until it can consume your soul.
Debasing yourself on pleasures and evil deeds will sicken your spirit and bring you closer to the vulture’s claws. Of course, this misunderstands the vultures role in nature. Vultures aren’t predatory animals and are instead a true representative of the delicate beauty of nature’s cycles of life. A Christian can still appreciate vultures by understanding the role they play in maintaining the balance of God’s creation.
Vulture Celtic Symbolism
The Ellen Trechend is a monster with three vulture-like heads in Irish mythology. This creature destroyed Ireland until the hero Amergin mac Eccit killed it.
In Celtic Ireland, Shamans used to have a ritual called “sky burial” in which the dead bodies would be left in a high altitude region to be eaten by vultures. This is very similar to the Tibetan tradition.
These birds are also portrayed on the megalithic structures’ walls and symbolize the spirits that carry the dead to the Otherworld.
It is believed that the cairns in which these things happened were built to help the shamans create this bridge between this world and the spirit world.
In Ireland, it is forbidden by law to kill vultures. In this region, vultures may be appreciated as cleansing birds that eliminate sources of disease or decay.
But what does a buzzard symbolize in Celtic tradition? They view it as an intelligent bird that knows how and when to consume its energy. It is a symbol of rest and replenishing your energies. It is associated with the Sabbath that is the first day of the week.
Vulture African Symbolism
The Egyptian vulture was considered a sacred bird by the Pharaohs. The buzzard symbolism is present in the Ancients’ hieroglyphs and represents the letter A of the alphabet.
These people believed that the vultures were born from eggs without a male’s involvement. This isn’t true in general, however recent research has shown that some endangered vultures actually can reproduce asexually without a male. Maybe the Egyptians knew something we didn’t! Because it was that these birds are only females, the vultures were associated with motherhood and purity.
In Egyptian mythology, vultures were sacred birds that were close to Isis. The vulture animal is also present as a deity called Nekhbet, patron, and nurse of Egypt and the Pharaoh.
Nekhbet is illustrated as a woman with a vulture’s head, her wings being a symbol of protection with an emblem of infinity in her claws.
The vulture eating dead animal symbolism is present here as well, but Egyptian culture generally respected and revered death instead of fearing it the way we do. Nekhbet was connected with both death and rebirth. Her cult was solely conducted by priestesses, who wore white vulture feathers clothes. This goddess was considered the first mother, from the beginning of time.
Vultures in African culture are kept close to protect from evil and improve women’s fertility. They are also believed to be an aid in contacting the deceased.
Vulture in Dreams
The meaning of seeing vultures in dreams is change. Vultures foretell a movement of the cycle of life. You will soon enter a new stage. The death of the past can be scary, but the birth of the future is an opportunity that should fill you with hope.
You might dream of vultures circling and ask yourself, “why do buzzards circle in the sky”? Buzzards circling may predict a loss or a disaster, such as a death in the family. It may laso simply represent anxiety and resistance to change.
What does it mean when you see a group of vultures? A flock of vultures signifies a great fortune to come. Beware that your good fortune might attract the attention of those who wish to benefit off of your successes.
What does it mean when a vulture crosses your path in dreams? If turkey vultures are circling, you should be prepared to undergo a transformation. You may have to reshape your identity to make it through the upcoming changes.
A dream of vultures attacking you speaks of the disappointment someone close will bring to you. A vulture attacking represents someone acting out of character, since this is not normal behavior for a vulture.
Dreaming of a black vulture represents sacrifice and losing face. Sometimes doing the right thing won’t make you look as good or feel as appreciated as you would like, but it is still the right thing to do.
Vulture Encounters and Omens
Are vultures a bad omen? It is commonly believed so, since vultures gather where something has died. But are vultures good luck in any culture? Yes! Vultures often represent good luck and cleanliness alongside death and decay. It is said that it can be a powerful sign of rebirth as well.
You might see vultures on the roof and ask yourself, “why are vultures hanging around my house”? The vultures on the roof of the house can mean that death is approaching household. But don’t get scared right away, for it might also be a symbol of healing. In a more practical sense, it could also mean that an animal has died nearby.
An African superstition exists, which tells that smelling the vulture’s brain will give a person great intuition and help him win in various gambling games.
You might ask, “can vultures sense death?” The vulture symbol is present in many superstitions as a bearer of death, misfortune, and disease, a messenger of the Otherworld. This is because they can smell death from afar and seem to appear as soon as the death occurs, like they could foresee it. This is simply because they prefer to eat fresh bodies and can smell them from a great distance.
Turkey Vulture feathers mean good luck and protection. Collecting feathers is illegal in the United States, so enjoy the blessing but leave them where you find them.
Vulture Mythology and Folklore
What do vultures represent in mythology? The meaning of buzzards, in general, is about their power to consume death and create life. This associates them with the idea of rebirth and reincarnation.
Nasr is an Arabian deity who resembles a vulture, and it is said to have been the patron of people during the prophet Noah’s life.
There is a legend in Bulgaria and Turkey of this bird saving Muhammad from an eagle’s grasp. The vulture is named the “white father” after receiving eternal life and white plumage as a reward for its bravery, purity, and wisdom.
The Romans watched how the vultures flew to read its meaning. This is part of a larger tradition where the behaviors of birds were used to predict or interpret the future. Romulus and Remus decided on which hill to build the new city on how the vultures flew. These birds were also seen as a symbol of love because they always passed in pairs.
In Italy, the buzzard meaning is of “master of cows” because the birds are often seen flying along with cattle. This happens because some vultures feed on cow dung.
Vulture Spirit Animal
The vulture spirit animal is associated with harmony, purity, and cleansing because it eats the dead and doesn’t let diseases spread.
The spirit animal vulture makes its appearance in your life when you are in suffering to remind you that by hurting, you will grow and evolve to a higher self. This animal can also aid you in attaining clairvoyance and seeing auras, enlightening you spiritually.
The vulture spirit animal is resourceful and reminds you to seize the opportunities that come your way. If your spirit animal is the vulture then you may feel misunderstood. The vulture’s spiritual meaning is that of kindness and service to the world. Vultures are selfless, gentle, and intelligent.
The vulture spirit animal symbolizes the power of doing the right thing, even when it isn’t appreciated by others.
Vulture Totem Animal
The vulture totem teaches you how to consume your energy efficiently and grants you the ability of foresight.
The vulture character is someone patient with great intuition and can efficiently resolve problems because of this. If you have the vulture animal totem, you can quickly adapt to any situation and are a very protective person, especially to those you love or feel responsible for.
Vultures mean magic; they can sense changes coming form miles away and can guide you toward accomplishing amazing things.
The turkey vulture totem gives you strong will power, keen sight, and intelligence, making you a good strategist and team worker.
The shrewd vulture totem is calm and does not anger easily, however its power as a defender and protector is immense. People with the vulture totem enjoy being a part of a wider community and will happily share their talents with others.
Vulture Power Animal
The vulture power animal relates to the sun and its transformative healing powers. If the vulture is your power animal than sunlight practically runs through your veins. You feel happiest with the sun on your face and are probably a morning person.
The turkey vulture’s meaning as a power animal and a spirit animal is that of purification. The sun is a great rejuvenator that brings life and vitality to the earth.
Vulture Tattoo Meaning
The vulture’s eye as a tattoo is a symbol of vigilance, as it is linked to the bird’s keen eyesight.
Vulture tattoos also symbolize intelligence and great capacities in hunting for their well-developed sense of smell. This bird prefers many things to survive, and it is an emblem for wits, struggle, and hard work.
The black vulture feathers tattoo is a symbol of strength.
A turkey vulture walking tattoo illustrates adaptability and intelligence because it preys on the carcasses, picking everything from the bones, with its bald head, designed so that it doesn’t dirty its head feathers and spread bacteria while eating.
The hovering vulture tattoo is a symbol of death, associated with the idea that the vultures circle their dying pray and await the right moment to eat it.
A vulture tattoo can have both positive and negative meanings, depending on the person and the context. Further meanings for a vulture tattoo include:
- Reincarnation
- Selflessness
- Generosity
- Sacrifice
- Intuition
- Perception
- Pacifism
- Kindness
- Misunderstandings
- Change
Conclusion
The vulture is one of the most potent bird totems and spirit animals. It is a deeply meaningful spirit animal with powerful omens and myths associated with its presence. More than that, it is a beautiful and vital part of nature, responsible for handling a dirty job that keeps our planet clean. Thank you vultures! We should all learn to appreciate you a bit more!
Related
I saw vulture 3 days ago sitting on my house roof after few days I can hear something walking inside my ceiling board when I shout it keep quiet what does that mean it’s scary
Hatzy
I led a Summer Solstice Ceremony in an Objibwa Medicine Wheel garden we built at the Groton First Parish House. We Cleansed ourselves with sage before we entered the garden. Then honored the earth with tobacco and corn meal. We prayed for its healing, for moderate weather, for peace and bountiful harvests worldwide in these troubled times. After our prayers around 10:40-11:00, seven vultures flew over the crest of nearby Gibbet Hill flew toward the Parish House and Medicine Garden: circling above a bit to the South just below the Sun then flew on toward the Northwest. I have had training with a difficult Cherokee shaman and later with Cherokee and other Northern tribal elders, teachings from a Salvadoran Shaman and his wife, Wampanoag leaders repatriating burial remains, as well as elders and spiritual leaders of the Pueblean cultures, seen and participated in rituals at William Commanda’s gatherings in Kiti Ganzibi, Quebec, and long ago at the Return of the Shalako Kachina at Zuni. and much more in Mexico and Guatemala. I feel the vultures were answering us. Part of their message is patience; more cleansing must be done.
My daughter today 06.10.22 at Wits today there was a Vulture outside the path she’s suppose to use going to her Res at Junction Avenue. I am so afraid of my daughter. She saw it through her window.
I found a turkey vulture in my back yard. It let me approach it so I went and got a cloth to put over its head and caught it. It must have been sick or something. I called around and found a rescue that would take it and I just dropped it off. After reading this I’m scared as hell. I just hope the bird survives and maybe by saving its life it will take away the bad ju ju.
Rescue centers don’t think they are worth rehab. They euthanize them…sorry. We found out the hard way. They only want to rehab hawks, owls, etc.
Yes! I found this out the hard way also! For 2 years an injured vulture has lived in or near my yard! It cannot fly and will not allow me to approach! The Rapture Rescue? Center here in SC would not talk to me about help! I feed it meals of decaying chicken I leave out to ruin ! So far he ?is Still Alive and Greeys the Sun every morning with spread open wings and I feel honored for it’s ” protection and helping me heal he death of my beloved partner of 34 years when he left Earth! I feel the Vulture is protecting me and as long as he can “Survive” the way he is ,I will do my best to help him as he looks after me! I have notified my neighbors to please Not to hurt him or run hm down if he can’t move fast enough to get out of thier way when he ” hops” across the road! His Flock Family nest nearby and roost in a small patch of woods across he stret from my house! He’s beautiful! I gather his feathers he sheds in my yard! Spiritually I feel he is protectiong and helping me heal thru my grief! I don’t understand the WHY the Avian Rescuse deems Vultures unworthy of helping but he is so Honorable to me ,Brave and Courageous,Until in the fullness of time,I will do all I’m able to let him know ,I believe he is worthy and noble to care for !
Thank you for listening to my tale of my Vulture “Friend”! He is really so cool!
My husband has shared to me that it’s been 3 different times while driving, a vulture would swoop down almost getting hot by his vehicle. He has some Native American from his mother. Im in to the metaphysical. Is this a warning of some sort to him? Thank you for your response. Kind regards
I saw one of these beauties on the way to work today. It was sitting on a fence along a farm field. I really love to look up meanings of animals. Because I 100% believe they show up at given times to bring a message
What is the symbolism of Black buzzards/vultures and do they prey on live animals such as feral cats?
Vultures will eat the young and infirm, but it’s generally easier not to. Pharaoh’s chickens (Egyptian vultures) actually use a stick to break open eggs so they can eat what’s inside; at some point, there was an Egyptian belief that they did this to release new souls. Vultures will eat the odd lizard or mouse if the opportunity presents itself, but they won’t hunt them the way an owl or other bird of prey might. Vultures tend to have weaker jaws and feet than other birds of prey, so they’re ill-suited to swooping down on or carrying off prey.
Black vultures are different from other vultures. They’re the only New World vulture without a sense of smell and generally find corpses by following turkey vultures and running them off. They seem to almost prefer to attack and kill young and sickly animals over scavenging, and will even kill healthy young other vultures (and condors, for that matter) would probably ignore. They’re still not great at carrying things in their talons, but black vultures have a stronger bite relative to their body size than most other vultures (including condors). They cause tons of damage to property and livestock and, in the US at least, you need a special permit to kill them, which requires substantial proof they’re causing property damage and harm to livestock. I’ve never heard of a black vulture attacking, killing, and eating a feral cat the way other birds of prey do, but I wouldn’t put it past them.
Great information!!!!
I am happy I read your article. thanks
Are there different types of vultures beside the Turkey vultures or are they all named the same? Also there always in packs so that must mean something right ? Please explain, I wanna get a tattoo of a vulture because it’s meaning describes me in so many ways, when I was in my adolescence I remember seeing like 40 to 50 of them on a radio microwave antenna an they were all black from head to toe there wonderful birds but do you think they are better then an eagle?
Vultures tend to be highly social, with different species of vultures feeding at the same time with little competition (though their is a hierarchy thing with vultures based on size, like with lots of other animals). In Tibet at least, some species of vultures even share nesting grounds. That’s why you often see them in groups (known alternatively as kettles, wakes, and parliaments, depending on what they’re doing).
Turkey vultures are a smaller species of vulture, part of the New World vultures. New World vultures are those native to the Americas and includes condors. They aren’t closely related to the Old World vultures of Europe, Asia, and Africa; they’re similar due to convergent evolution. African vultures are technically a subset of the Old World, but they tend to be less closely related to the vultures of Europe and Asia than to one another. New World vultures tend to have highly-developed senses of smell (turkey vultures can smell buried remains at up to four miles away), excepting the black vulture, and are mute: they can hiss, grunt, and growl, but can’t vocalize. By contrast, Old World vultures can’t smell, but they can vocalize (griffon vultures actually sound like the raptors from Jurassic Park, if you can believe that).
In the New World, we of course have the Andean and California condors. We have the turkey vulture and the black vulture. We have the lesser and greater yellow-headed vulture. And we have the striking king vulture, with its white back and colorful head. There are a lot of extinct species as well, including the massive teratorns, the largest of which had a wingspan of between 22 and 30 feet and was likely an active hunter.
In the Old World, we have the handsome Egyptian vulture (also called a pharaoh’s chicken), palm-nut vulture, fierce-looking bearded vulture, imposing specimens such as the griffon vulture and Himalayan vulture, and uglier ones like the lappet-faced vulture and hooded vulture. There are more extant species of Old World vultures than New World vultures and they’re generally better-looking. Supposedly some Old World vultures can reveal fake eyes on their shoulders by hunching over, but I haven’t seen many pictures of this, and the ones I have seen have been griffon and Himalayan vultures.
Blessed angels of mercy & death, bestow on me your wisdom & breath. Never found & never never lost, your vision I seek to abound.
I have been watching and filming turkey vultures near my house for a couple of years now they come back at the end of April every year and stay for awhile and for some reason I became very connected to them and collected their feathers and made videos and put my own music to it, Then I read this article very interesting didn”t know there was so much info- At one time I was walking home and I had a fist full of feathers in my hand and a few of them seemed to be following me at the time Usually they would fly away from me but after seeing them every day for a couple of months I think they were getting used to me being around. It was quite amazing to hear them flying out of the Pine trees early morning in the dark especially when there was 30 or so of them at a time- It really gave me a chill I have made a decoration of their feathers which I felt the need to do for some reason and then I read your article – it really opened my eyes to the world of the Turkey Vultures Thank You
God bless you My friend in the name of Jesus ✝️💪🏾
Believe in yourself.
When my daughter went outside to ride her bike just now, several vultures where feasting on our garbage after ripping open all the bags. Maybe they thought of it as an offering.