Heraldic Templates -- Birds

The following links are to pages that contain images that you can use to help design your armory -- this set of images are for birds. You will see that some of the birds are not depicted in heraldry as they are in nature.

Instructions (please read):

Note that printing the GIF Files probably will not provide images that are the correct size for the heraldic submission forms.

Note: These are not done yet -- the links are here to make it easier for Hirsch, rather than having to keep adding them ... this is a work in progress.

Birds
NOTES: if you click on the link for an individual bird you will be taken to a new page that shows that bird in as many different heraldic positions as the artists could manage and several sizes.

Also please understand that if a bird is not shown in a specific posture, it does not necessarily mean that this is not legal but that we're trying to cut down the work for the poor over-worked artists who have volunteered for this project. If you wish to extrapolate a bird's posture to one that is not shown based on postures of other birds that are, you are welcome to try. There are some postures that may not be considered legal by the SCA College of Arms for specific birds.

In addition, some birds that are found in many heraldic texts are not given here, due to again not wishing to overwork the artists more than they already are being worked. Once the original "wishlist" is completed, if they are still speaking to me, we can consider coming back in and inserting "missing" items.

The descriptions of the birds below are all taken from The Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry ...1, and rather than having a 'footnote' for each, we have one. Note that not all of the detail in the Pictorial Dictionary has been included in the text given ...

Birds in Society heraldry follow most of the rules as those of mundane heraldry. As a rule of thumb, most birds are statant close by default; see specific entries for exceptions to this.
     There are some bird postures unique to Society heraldry. A bird migrant or migratory is tergiant, wings displayed or displayed inverted, head erect; with no other qualification, a bird is migrant to chief. A bird stooping is volant, wings swept back; the bird's body is bendwise sinister, head to base. A bird striking has its wings elevated and addorsed, and its talons extended; for purposes of difference this is indistinguishable from rising.

Bat     The bat is a winged mouse-like beast, also called the reremouse or flittermouse. It is found as an heraldic charge c.1410. The bat's wings are membranous rather than feathered, and it is displayed guardant by default.
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Cock     The cock is the male chicken or rooster; it is found in the canting arms of Cockerel, c.1285. The cock is sometimes blazoned a dunghill cock, to distinguish it from male birds of other species, such as the moorcock (the male grouse) or the peacock.
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Crane     The crane is a long-legged aquatic bird with a long neck and bill. Its most common posture is in its vigilance, standing on one foot and grasping a stone in the other. The medieval bestaries held that the crane would stand this way; should it fall asleep, it would drop the stone and waken. As an heraldic charge, it dates from c.1270, in the arms of the Counts de Gruyere.
     Similar to the crane are the heron, the stork, the egret and the ibis. The heron is drawn with a long tuft on its head; it is found in the canting arms of Heron, c.1255. The stork is often depicted with a snake in its bill, even when this is not specifically blazoned; it is found in the arms of Oglander, temp. Henry III. The ibis and egret are generally drawn as found in nature.
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Crow (Raven)     The crow is a bird with a harsh voice and a reputation for avarice. It is close by default, and is depicted in heraldry with hairy feathers. A crow speaking has its mouth open as if in speech.
     Similar to the crow are the raven and the Cornish cough. The raven is indistinguishable from the crow; the Cornish cough is only distinguishable if proper, when it is black with red beak and feet. The raven and crow are sometimes called corbie, as in the canting arms of Corbet, c.1312; the Cornish cough is sometimes called a beckit for canting purposes.
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Dove     The dove is a bird related to the pigeon, with a soft cooing cry. It is often used as a symbol of peace, and thus it is sometimes shown with an olive slip. In heraldic art, it is distinguished by a little curled tuft on top of its head. The dove's proper coloration is white, with pink (some say gules) beak and legs; its default posture is close.
     Descending is a special term applied to doves; it's equivalent to migrant to base. A paraclete is a dove portrayed as the Holy Spirit: descending and with a halo.
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Eagle     The eagle is the monarch of birds, the medieval symbol of majesty and vision (literally and figuratively). It is thus a frequent charge in medieval heraldry, dating from the earliest hearldic records, c.1244. More than any other bird in heraldry, it is drawn in a highly stylized manner: with a crest, ruffled feathers, and ornate wings and tail. German emblazons may add klee-stengeln, wing bones, and this is sometimes explicitly blazoned; it's purely an artistic detail.
     The eagle is displayed by default; however the English and German forms of display differ. In the English system, displayed eagles hold their wings with their tips up; in the German system, their tips are down, in the posture called displayed inverted in English. Since either posture may be blazoned in English, the Society follows the English system; but as the distinction is mostly one of emblazonry, no heraldic difference is granted.
     Double-headed eagles are often found, both in mundane and Society heraldry; care should be taken, however, as these may more readily infringe on royal armory from Germany and Eastern Europe. Triple-headed eagles are not permitted.
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Falcon (Hawk)     The falcon is a raptor, a bird of prey, which can be domesticated for use by hunters. It is found in the canting arms of Fauconer as early as 1295. Heraldically, the falcon category includes hawks; there is considerable overlap in their attributes, though, strictly speaking, falcons and hawks are of differing species. In any event, the terms are considered interchangeable in heraldry.
     The falcon is close by mundane and SCA default (though SCA blazons often specify the posture, nonetheless). Falcons are often depicted as belled and jessed, with thongs and bells tied to the legs in the traditional falconer's manner; this may be done even when not explicitly blazoned. Falcons are also found hooded, with a leather hood over the head; this is always blazoned. The falcon may be found preying or trussing upon a smaller beast or bird, holding it in its talons while ripping it with its beak.
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Harpy     A harpy is a monster from Greek myth, defined as a vulture with the head and breast of a woman. It was used as a heraldic charge in the mid-15th Century, and its reputation was one of bloodthirstiness. The harpy is close by default.
     Two other woman-bird monsters are usually classed as harpies, though their connotations differ. Like the harpy, they have the head and breast of a woman. The frauenadler has the body of an eagle; it is a German charge, found in the arms of the City of Nurnberg since at least 1600. Its default posture seems to be displayed and guardant. The Sirin harpy is a benign creature from Russian legend, with the body of a partridge; its proper coloration is brownish grey, with the human parts pink. Like the standard harpy, the Sirin harpy seems to be close by default. (Since there is little documentation on either the Sirin or the frauenadler, it is best to specify the posture.)
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Martlet     The martlet is an heraldic bird, a stylized form of swallow. It has the typical forked tail, but its defining characteristic is its lack of legs: small tufts of feathers appear in their place. The martlet is found as early as 1285, in the arms of the Earls of Pembroke, and proved a popular charge: of the birds, only the eagle is more often found.
     In the English system of cadency, the martlet is the brisure of the fourth son. The martlet is close by default.
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Ostrich     The ostrich is a gawky flightless bird, famed for its ability to digest the non-digestible. For that reason, it is often depicted with a horseshoe in its mouth, even when not so blazoned. The ostrich is a period charge, found in the Irish arms of MacMahon, c.1584. It is statant and close by default.
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Owl     The owl is a bird of prey, noted for its stealthy night-time activity. Classically, it was the archetype of wisdom; to medieval Christian moralists, it symbolized the Jews. It is a period charge, dating from c.1295.
     The owl is usually shown with "ears", tufts of feathers on either side of the head, to distinguish it from other birds. Its default posture is close, and guardant; but even when in other postures such as rising, the owl is guardant unless specified otherwise.
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Peacock     The peacock is a colorful bird, the medieval archetype of pride. Its wings are close by default; it is much more important to blazon his tail. The most common posture is in his pride: affronty, head facing dexter, and the tail expanded to display its colors. The peacock in its pride is found in period armory, as in the arms of Maningham c.1585.
     When the tail is other than expanded, Society practice blazons it as pavonated in that way: e.g. a peacock pavonated to base has its tail to base, close and sweeeping the ground. In such cases the peacock's body faces dexter, as with any other bird. This too is a period posture for the peacock, as seen in the arms of the Prince of Wiedt c.1600.
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Pelican     The pelican is a marine bird, which in medieval legend would revive its dead young with blood from its own breast. Its most common posture is thus blazoned a pelican in its piety: wings addorsed, piercing its breast with its beak to feed its young. (The posture is also sometimes blazoned as pelican vulning itself, particularly if no hatchlings are depicted.)
     Period depictions of this bird do not show it as found in nature, with a baggy-bottomed beak, but with a long slender beak resembling that of a stork, and with ruffled feathers.
     The pelican was used in the canting arms of Pelham as early as 1418. In Society armory, the pelican is reserved to the Order of the Peerage of the same name.
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Penguin     The penguin is a flightless sea bird of the Southern Hemisphere, discovered by Drake in 1578; it is short and squat with wings strongly resembling flippers. There seems to be no default posture, though most of the Society's examples are statant close ... The proper penguin is normally drawn as the Emperor variety, with white belly and black back.
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Phoenix     The phoenix is a monster from Greek myth which, after living alone in the desert for half a millenium, consumed itself in fire and rose again from the ashes. It is shown as a demi-bird issuant from flames. Medieval emblazons always gave it an elaborate crest atop its head ... (taken from the crest of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers, 1486); modern emblazons often show it as simply a demi-eagle.
     The phoenix is displayed by default; even when blazoned rising from flames, as it often is, its posture is displayed, not the heraldic posture of rising. The flames need not be blazoned, without flames it wouldn't be a phoenix.
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Poppinjay     The poppinjay is a brash and flashy bird, which the ancients knew could be taught to talk. It is an ancient charge, dating from at least 1245; it is also termed a parrot in modern heraldry. The poppinjay is close by default; its proper coloration is vert, beaked gules.
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Roc     The roc is a huge bird from Persian legend; it is often shown carrying an elephant in its talons, to show how large it is. In Society heraldry, it is drawn essentially as an eagle; the term is used mostly for canting purposes.
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Swallow     The swallow is a speedy bird whose migratory habits were known to medieval naturalists. Its notable feature is its forked tail, which is exaggerated in armorial emblazons. ... as in the canting arms of Swalow, c.1395.
     There is also the swift, an heraldically indistinguishable bird.
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Swan     The swan is a graceful water bird famed for its death song; it was said to bring good luck. It was used as an heraldic charge in Jeny's Roll, c.1410. The swan was also called a cygnet, especially for canting.
     The swan is rousant or rising by default. However, its most popular posture in Society heraldry is naiant; this too is a period posture, as in the Belgian arms of Lanchals, c.1488.
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Footnotes:
1 The Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry as Used in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., 2nd Edition, Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme and Akagawa Yoshio, 1992, self-published.

Disclaimer: All of these drawings are intended for use in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., specifically for heraldic purposes. However, these pages do not delineate SCA College of Arms or West Kingdom College of Heralds policy. All attempts are made when describing or portraying the elements of armory used in these pages to be as accurate to both medieval and SCA usage as possible, but if you are not sure, you should check with the College of Arms or the College of Heralds. You may use these drawings "as is" for the purpose of designing heraldry for use within the SCA with this understanding. All decisions by the West Kingdom College of Heraldry and/or the SCA's College of Arms regarding the depictions used on your submission forms supercedes anything found here.

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