A fitting bird for a first of Firsts: a male Northern Cardinal, singing on a fine spring morning.
Many bird watchers celebrate “First Birds,” the first bird seen on New Year’s Day. Some see these birds as a fun footnote. Others consider them symbolic of the year ahead as a form of augury. Augury was the ancient Greco-Roman practice of observing birds to divine the will of the gods. An augur was someone who “took the auspices” – literally, “looked at birds.” We still use the word auspicious (lucky, supernaturally favorable) based on this ancient tradition. Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome, was said to have chosen the location after sighting twelve vultures. Many other cultures have their own bird oracles. Mexico City was founded where an eagle caught a snake; an owl hooting foretells death among the Kwakwaka'wakw in Canada’s Pacific Northwest; in the British Isles you can tell your fortune by the number of magpies in a field.
I am a bird watcher, and so I suppose I am an augur – after all, I “take the auspices” every time I go outside. I love birds. I picked up a pair of binoculars in grade school and never looked back. Now I am a professional naturalist who teaches people how to watch birds, making augurs of them too. Because as much as I love the science of birds, deep in my heart I believe birds are magic. Spotting a hawk swooping over morning traffic changes my entire day. Every time I see a Bald Eagle I think of my father. Warblers mean excitement, chickadees mean tenacity, and herons mean reflection. I think most birders find meaning in the birds they chase. This blog is an attempt to record my own augury and maybe help others see a little bird magic of their own.
As a modern-day augur, I say: why only have a First Bird of the year? The first of the month is as good a start as any. My first bird of March 2024 was a singing male Northern Cardinal that I spotted as I left for work. Here is my reading of these auspices:
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Cardinals have a rich tradition of symbolism in the southeastern US, where many people believe they represent the spirits of deceased loved ones. The bright red males are beautiful and unmistakable, popping out from dense green tangles like a spark. Females are more subdued but may surprise you by singing just as sweetly as the males – very unusual among North American birds. Cardinals form strong pair bonds and care equally for the young. They do not migrate and instead face the cold winter together in large, cooperative flocks.
For me, this First Bird of March is a sign of vitality. Bright red, bold, singing into the morning sky, embodying the energy of spring. The cardinal tells me to WAKE UP and do something! It could be something productive like building a nest, or wasteful like fighting my own reflection (as male cardinals hopped up on testosterone often do in spring) – I must choose how I spend all that energy. This month I should harness that momentum to start new projects and be cautious not to let that excitement turn to frustration or aggression.