Bluebird meaning and symbolism include hope, optimism, joy, friendship, self-expression, harmony, and other special qualities.
Native to North America, the bluebird is a beloved figure who appears in the mythology, folklore, and artwork of this continent and beyond. In addition to their striking plumage, the bluebird is loved for their beautiful singing. It’s no wonder that bluebird symbolism, as well as bluebird spiritual meaning and the bluebird spirit animal, are intriguing topics for many people. In this post, we’ll explore the symbolic and sacred meanings that are associated with these joyful little birds.
“The bluebird carries the sky on his back.”
– Henry David Thoreau
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The beloved bluebird symbolizes an array of positive qualities. You can read details on these below.
Because of their sweet songs and joyful nature, the bluebird is a symbol of hope and optimism. Indeed, their beautiful feathers seem to send a personal message to tell you that blue skies are ahead. If a bluebird makes themselves known to you, view it as a positive sign of good things to come in your life.
Songwriter Miranda Lambert shares these sentiments perfectly in her song “Bluebird”:
And if the house just keeps on winning
And if love starts giving me lemons
Just mix ’em in my drink
And if the whole wide world stops singing
And all the stars go dark
I’ll keep the light on in my soul
Keep a bluebird in my heart
– Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby, and Luke Dick
Along the lines of hope and optimism, bluebird symbolism also includes joy. Bluebirds love to sing and their high-pitched vocalizations sound like they don’t have a care in the world; they simply enjoy being alive.
If you’re fortunate enough to see or hear a bluebird in person, or if one captures your attention in art or the media, remember to be joyful about the simple things in life.
Let’s face it, there are definitely people who don’t know how to be happy! Their lives may seem like they’re filled with blessings, yet they still find reasons to complain and be unhappy. A bluebird coming into your life is telling you – You are not one of those people!
You deserve to be happy and to have fun. Sometimes cultivating a positive outlook simply takes practice before it becomes automatic. The bluebird is here to tell you that it’s so.
Bluebirds are very social birds who will gather in flocks of 100 or more. Due to their social nature, and befitting their color, the bluebird is an archetypal symbol for a “true blue” friend.
The bluebird is a reminder that the most valuable currency on Earth is love. Thus, it’s worthwhile to invest in your emotional currency.
The bluebird says, “The best present you can give is your presence.” So be sure to take time to be with your friends and loved ones and to celebrate your relationships.
As with many other bird species, the bluebird likes to find a high perch from which they can sing and view the world. In addition, the bluebird’s beautiful feathers resemble a clear blue sky. So, the bluebird embodies the idea of seeing the big picture, or the 10,000-foot view.
For these reasons, the bluebird is a symbol of perspective. If the bluebird is special to you, you are likely a person who can see things from different viewpoints. Bluebird people are able to maintain an open mind about many things in life.
As a symbol of perspective, the bluebird encourages open-mindedness and getting a broader view of situations. They remind us to take a step back, appreciate the beauty of the world around us, and to make informed decisions based on open-mindedness.
The bluebird is a very expressive little bird, possessing a repertoire of songs to communicate their feelings. Fittingly, the bluebird’s beautiful feathers are the color of the blue chakra, also called the throat chakra, which governs communication.
Thus, the bluebird embodies the idea of telling your story or speaking your truth. They’re a reminder for us all to also express ourselves creatively and consider how we present ourselves to the world. When it comes to “personal brand” – the bluebird has it down! Do you have a sense of your own personal brand? Even if you don’t think you have one, you still do!
In conjunction with self-expression, bluebird symbolism includes the idea of harmony. Of course, this can mean in a musical sense. But it can also signify finding harmony, or balance, in your relationships, work, personal life, or even your physical well-being.
Bluebird couples set a good example for this. In addition to their lovely singing, the male and female bluebird work together to build their nest and care for their chicks. While bluebirds are not necessarily monogamous for life as other bird species are, such as crows, albatrosses, and eagles, they are nevertheless devoted to their mates, whom they coexist with in a very harmonious fashion.
So, if the bluebird is special to you, or one suddenly makes themselves known to you, it can be a sign to strive for more harmony in your life.
It’s no coincidence that the bluebird is also the color of water. The bluebird reminds you to strive to be in flow in everything you do. If you feel like you are out of harmony or out of flow, consider working on visualization techniques to imagine what it would look like and feel like if your life was more in flow.
The bluebird is a positive sign that reminds you that you have the capacity to envision what you want and to make it happen.
In addition to being a symbol for hope and optimism, the bluebird symbolizes hopes and dreams. With wings for lift-off that are the color of the sky, the beautiful bluebird says to dream big – the sky’s the limit! Remember that envisioning the life you want starts in your imagination. And it doesn’t cost a penny to dream!
With their beautiful songs and water-colored feathers, the bluebird is also a symbol of peace and tranquility. The sweet bluebird is a reminder of the importance of being able to find serenity in your heart and mind, no matter what kind of madness is happening in the world around you.
After all, there are a lot of things in life that we can’t control. But one thing we have total control over is how we think and how we respond.
A bird’s feathers carry much of the symbolic meaning of the bird themselves. So, if you see a bluebird feather, it has the same symbolic meaning as the bird, including hope, optimism, joy, friendship, perspective, self-expression, harmony, and dreams.
In addition, coming across a bluebird feather can be a sign that the spirit of a loved one who has passed is sending you a greeting.
In the U.S., Native Americans have the legal right to use bird feathers in their spiritual ceremonies. However, for non-Native People, it’s illegal to possess migratory bird feathers under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).1 This is a way to protect birds by lessening the ability for people to profit off of selling them or their parts. So, if you see a bluebird feather, by all means, enjoy its beauty and symbolic meaning, but leave it where you found it.
Many people are understandably upset if they come across a dead bird or other animal. If you find a dead bluebird, you may wonder if it has some type of meaning, such as a negative omen.
From an environmental standpoint, it can be important to try to find out why a bird has died in your area. The cause can be pesticides, rat poison, or some other toxin. However, bluebirds live in the wild for 6 – 10 years. So, it’s also possible that the bluebird died of natural causes.
However, from a symbolic and spiritual perspective, what’s important if you find a dead bluebird is to honor their life and spirit.
Many psychics and mediums say that when people and animals pass, their spirits have an interest in what happens to their earthly bodies. This is why so many cultures around the world have spiritual traditions about honoring the bodies of those who have passed, whether through burial, cremation, or another tradition.
So, if you come across a dead bluebird, don’t view it as a bad omen. Instead, consider viewing it as though you have been chosen to honor their life and spirit. You can do this through prayer, meditation, or donating to a bird charity. On both a material and spiritual level, you have been given an opportunity to pay homage to a beautiful being.
It’s awful to witness a bird hitting a window. Birds can fly into windows because the reflection on the window appears to be trees or sky.
The Humane Society has recommendations on how you can help prevent bluebirds and other birds from flying into windows. In addition, there are a number of YouTube videos with recommendations.
As with dead bluebird meaning, you can view this kind of experience as an opportunity to help and honor the bluebird.
As a bird who is native to North America, the bluebird is an important figure in Native American mythology and folklore. Here are some of those stories and meanings:
In Native American culture, the bluebird symbolizes springtime and new beginnings.
For the Iroquois People, the bluebird’s beautiful singing drives away the demigod Tawiscaron, who rules the winter.
The Cherokee say that the bluebird can predict and even influence the weather.2
And for the Cochiti, Navajo, and Pueblo, the bluebird is a solar bird who is the son of the Sun Spirit. Thus, they associate the bluebird with the rising sun.
The Navajo sing a song that goes:
Bluebird said to me,
“Get up, my grandchild.
It is dawn,” it said to me.3
In addition, the Ojibwe have a legend about how rainbows were created. According to their stories, an artist named Nanabozho wanted to bring more color to the world, so he created rainbows with the help of two bluebirds.
The Pima People tell the tale of how the bluebird got his beautiful color. According to their legend, Bluebird once had dull, ugly feathers with no color. But one day, he came upon a beautiful blue lake, so he decided to bathe in it. He loved its color so much that he sang a song that went, “There’s a blue water. It lies there. I went in. I am all blue.”
Bluebird bathed in the water four times, and soon he came out and was the same beautiful blue color as the lake.
Coyote had been watching him and envied his beautiful new color. So, he did the same, bathing in the water for four days and singing the song Bluebird had sung.
Soon, Coyote became blue too. In fact, he was so in love with his new color, that he ran to show himself off to the other animals.
Coyote looked in every direction to see who was looking at how beautiful he was. But when he did so, he failed to see a tree stump in the middle of the path and he ran right into it. Coyote was thrown to the ground on the dusty red-brown path. And this is why Coyote is reddish brown today and not blue.4
In conjunction with what has been written above, here are some additional bluebird spiritual meanings:
1. Faith – As a symbol of hope and optimism, on a spiritual level, bluebird meaning includes the idea of having an unwavering belief in your faith, in your Higher Power, and that the Universe is working in your favor.
2. Prayer – Along the lines of faith, the bluebird’s singing embodies the idea that when you pray, your prayers will be heard. There is a saying that goes, “Praying is talking to God. Meditation is listening for the answer.” The bluebird symbolizes the idea that God and your angels are listening.
3. Angels – The presence of a bluebird, like a cardinal, is often seen as a messenger from one of your angels, such as a loved one who has passed.
4. Expanded Spiritual Awareness – Bluebird spiritual meaning also includes the idea of expanded spiritual awareness, or consciousness.
The bluebird sings from their perch, displaying their beautiful feathers. They have a red breast, which symbolizes blood and the heart, representing our human experience and emotions. And their blue feathers are the color of the sky, which represents the heavens, or the metaphysical.
Thus, this tiny little bird represents the interconnection of mind, body, and spirit.
If you find yourself drawn to bluebirds in real life, art, literature, or elsewhere – or if a bluebird suddenly makes their presence known to you – it can be a sign that the bluebird spirit animal is trying to get your attention.
When the bluebird is your spirit animal, you have a natural inclination towards optimism and a positive outlook on life. You believe that everything will work out in the end and you are able to maintain a hopeful attitude, even during challenging times.
Bluebird people are also known for their ability to bring joy to others. You have a natural charm and an infectious energy that can uplift even the darkest of moods. You value your friendships and relationships with kin, cherishing the connections you make with others.
The bluebird spirit animal can also bring a sense of perspective to your life. You have the ability to see things from a different angle and can often offer a fresh perspective to those around you.
Self-expression is another quality associated with the bluebird spirit animal. When the bluebird is your spirit animal, you have creative flair and enjoy finding unique ways to express yourself. Whether through art, music, writing, or speaking, you have a knack for communicating your thoughts and emotions in a way that resonates with others.
Finally, with the bluebird on your side, you are a dreamer who has the ability to manifest what you envision for your life.
If you’re curious about other animals who might be your spirit guides in addition to the bluebird, you can take UniGuide’s spirit animal quiz and read more in the spirit animal overview post.
As the name implies, a power animal can inspire you with their most dynamic traits. So, if you want to transform an area of your life, meditate on the attributes that the power animal represents. For example, you can meditate on the bluebird power animal in situations when you:
An animal totem embodies the protective powers of the animal it represents. Thus, the bluebird totem animal is a helpful symbol for bringing more happiness and positive energy into your life.
It’s also a good luck symbol for expanding your consciousness and inviting better creative ideas into your imagination.
Finally, the bluebird totem animal is a protective symbol for continuing to chase your dreams and believing in yourself, no matter the obstacles you encounter along the way. As a Zen Buddhist proverb goes, “Obstacles don’t block the path. They are the path.”
What does it mean if you dream of a bluebird? Dreams are personal to each dreamer, but a bluebird dream is usually considered a good sign.
To begin, dreaming of a bluebird could mean that you had a visitation from, or connected with, a loved one who has passed and who is now in spirit form. Bluebirds are often considered messengers from angels.
A bluebird dream can also mean that you have a need to express yourself more creatively. Your bluebird dream could be reminding you to take the time in your wakeful state to be creative in a medium that resonates with you.
What’s important when analyzing your bluebird dream is to consider the emotions you felt in your dream. One thing we all have in common is that our subconscious emotions don’t lie to us. Analyzing the emotions you felt in your dream in perspective to how you perceive bluebirds can also help you to better understand what your dream is telling you.
A bluebird tattoo is a beautiful symbol that can convey a variety of meanings. For instance, it can show the world that you are an optimist at heart who looks for the positive aspects of life and in other people.
It can also mean that you love music and you love to sing.
In addition, a bluebird tattoo can show the world that you are a dreamer who is putting positive energy into the world.
Of course, tattoos are personal to the person whose skin they adorn. But hopefully learning more about bluebird symbolism can bring extra meaning to your tattoo.
The good news is that North American bluebirds are not endangered. Though habitat loss and competition from non-native species has impacted their populations.5
In general, around the world, bird and insect populations are under threat due to climate change, toxins in the environment, and habitat destruction and loss. So, if you care about bluebirds, you can take some actions to protect them.
One way to help them is to set up bluebird feeders (that are safe from cats, dogs, and other predators.) You can also avoid toxic fertilizers and pesticides in your garden and instead opt for organic plant foods as well as native plants, which will attract the types of local insects and other critters that native bluebirds like to eat. You can also support bird protection organizations, such as the Audubon Society.
Hello. Thanks for visiting UniGuide. My name is Kristen and I started UniGuide as a tribute to nature, animals, and spiritual exploration. I hope you enjoy your experience here!
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