ysabetwordsmith | Fledgling Grace Birds (Part 4 of 4) (Reply)

Here is the last batch of birds for the Fledgling Grace series. Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Raven -- mentioned in "Dancing Down the Sky" and "Devil's Advocate." The Irish name for "raven" is fiach dubh. The wings are large, tapering slightly at the tips. The tail is longer in the center and forms almost a diamond when spread. The black feathers may show purple or blue iridescence in the sun.

This manifestation is common in Ireland, and uncommon wherever Irish people have traveled across the world. Ravens play important roles in Irish mythology.

Red-bellied parrot -- mentioned in "The Wingdresser's Kitchen." Parrots in general are mentioned in "Devil's Advocate" and "Swish." They have blunt gray-green wings and very short blunt tails. These birds are sexually dimorphic but it doesn't show much on just the wings and tail -- the males have a peach to orange belly and that coloration may extend into parts of the underwings.

This plumage is typical of Ethiopian people.

In "The Wingdresser's Kitchen" there is an Ethiopian woman with the gray-green wings of a red-bellied parrot, undersides showing peach.

Michael Jordan is described with parrot wings in "Swish."

Red grouse -- mentioned in "Merlin's Return." Red grouse have bright red-brown wings with a short blunt shape, and a black tail.

They are associated with Wales, especially people from the moorlands. This is a common wing type in Wales, not so much elsewhere.

Red-winged blackbird -- mentioned in "Dancing Down the Sky." These birds are sexually dimorphic. Males are glossy black with a large red patch on each shoulder edged by a narrow line of yellow. Females are mottled and streaked in shades of brown. The broad wings have curved trailing edges so they form almost a half-circle in flight. The tail spreads into a wide curved fan.

This manifestation prevails among the Chitimacha tribe.

The protagonist of "The Poi Bird" has the cap of a red-winged blackbird from America on the right wing, although the base pattern of the wings is the white dove of England.

Saker falcon -- mentioned in "Dark Triangles." Saker falcons are large hierofalcons with broad blunt wings, deckled grey to brown with little chevrons. The blunt tail opens into a rounded triangle and its feathers are barred.

These wings correlate to Mongols and the Mongol Empire, including their descendants in France. Falcons are honored in Mongolian folklore, and Mongolia named the falcon as its national bird. Saker falcon wings are common in Mongolia, less so elsewhere, but appear in places where the Mongols camped, such as France.

Scarlet macaw -- mentioned in "Cherubim and Seraphim." The wings are large and somewhat pointed. They have a wide band of red along the shoulders and a wide band of yellow under that. The rest is bright blue. The long tail can open into a fan of individual feathers with the central one being longest. It is mostly red with some blue near the base and the shorter side feathers.

This plumage prevails among the Guarani people of Brazil and Bolivia.

The first seraph (female) mentioned in "Cherubim and Seraphim" has upper wings of a scarlet macaw.

Sinai Rosefinch -- mentioned in "Picking and Pecking." The wings are small and slightly pointed. The tail shows a shallow central notch when closed but a fairly complete fan when open. Wings and tail are a soft greyish tan, touched with varying amounts of rose or peach.

This plumage is moderately common throughout the Sinai Peninsula, particularly among Bedouins but also appearing among Jews.

Snowy Owl -- mentioned in "Eiderdown." The huge soft wings are slightly pointed at the tip and the tail is short and broad, forming almost a half-circle in flight. The base color is white; some individuals are completely white. Most have some amount of black spotting, and some have complete bars.

These wings appear among Inuit and other northerly cultures, marking shamans, as the snowy owl is a symbol of guidance and aid. This is a rare manifestation.

Sparrow -- mentioned in "Moulting," "Cherubim and Seraphim," "Silkies," and "Devil's Advocate." There are many species of sparrows; most wings probably correlate to house sparrows unless otherwise specified. Sparrow wings are short and rounded; typically brown to gray, sometimes with black or white markings. The tail is a short blunt fan.

Sparrows are associated with Christianity because of the Bible verse (among others) Luke 12:6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?" Sparrow wings are common among Christians and their descendants, thus very widespread; and more likely for people who embody humility or feel that they have been overlooked but have not been.

The devil who moults into an angel in "Moulting" develops sparrow wings.

Sulphur crested cockatoo -- mentioned in "Like a Cocky on a Biscuit Tin." Sulphur crested cockatoos have wings and tail that are white but with vivid yellow undersides. The short wings are almost rectangular, the tail short and rounded.

These wings correlate to the Yolngu tribe of Yirrkala village, near the Australian town of Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory. However, they can pop up unexpectedly among Australians who look like whitefellas but have blackfella ancestry. (A quirk of aboriginal genetics is that the visible traits seem to disappear quickly upon mixing with other ethnic groups. These and other wings can reveal quite well hidden connections.) This manifestation prevails among the Yolngu and is very rare elsewhere.

Turkey vulture -- mentioned in "Through the Valley of the Shadow." Vultures have huge broad wings that fan out like fingers at the ends. The tail is slightly longer in the center. Feathers are dark brown to black. The underwings have dark coverts but the undersides of the flight feathers are a lighter silver-gray.

This is a typical manifestation for servants of Uriel, the Angel of Death, including priests, undertakers, thanatologists, and grief counselors. It's not very common in the population as a whole because Uriel doesn't have a lot of followers.

Ural owl -- not mentioned in poetry yet, part of the introduction to "Winged Destiny" by kestrels_nest. Ural owls have pale buff to light brown plumage, copiously streaked with dark brown. The wings are rounded; the flight is direct and purposeful. The tail is long and wedge-shaped, with dark barring on the uppertail. A distinctive characteristic of owls is their quiet or silent flight due to soft feathers.

These wings are associated with the Cossacks. They also appear wherever the Cossacks have left descendants, for example among some populations of Chassidic rabbis.

Whooper swan -- mentioned in "Merlin's Return." These pure white wings are distinguished from dove/pigeon wings by their larger size and blunt shape. They are long and wide with pinions that spread out like fingers at the tips. The white tail is also shorter and blunter.

Swans are associated with the soul or spirit, with magic, and with faerie in Celtic mythology. Whooper swan wings appear most notably among the old royal lines of Wales, less often scattered elsewhere through Celtic territory and descendants. On the whole, these wings are rare.

White-tailed eagle -- mentioned in "Dark Triangles," "Brothers and Cousins," and "Picking and Pecking." White-tailed eagles have large "barn door" wings with dark gray-brown feathers and blackish pinion. The broad tail is pure white; its feathers can separate widely, almost forming a circle.

Eagles are associated with Germanic lore, with a black eagle appearing on Germany's coat of arms. These wings are common in Germany but also appear fairly often elsewhere in Europe, especially where Germans invaded or settled, such as France. They also appear occasionally among Ashkenazi Jews.