I think the human admiration of birds is primarily rooted in envy. While humanity is resigned to living life on terra firma the bird is allowed to enjoy the freedom of sailing in the skies. While we’ve devised ways to imitate the bird we will never know the joy of flying through the air unassisted by machinery. As a result, birds are surrounded by a sort of mysticism and have become firmly rooted in popular culture and folklore. Native Americans believed crows were responsible for carrying souls to the afterlife. Sailors believed that swallows were responsible for carrying the souls of dead seamen to heaven. Albanians derive the name for their country from a folk tale about a young hunter that saves an eagle from a snake. With these thoughts in mind, it is no wonder why someone would be inspired to get a tattoo of these wondrous creatures. This article compiles 90 images of bird tattoos that will help you separate your next piece from the flock.
Watercolor Bird
A watercolor style bird is rendered in black and orange ink in this tattoo depicted on the wearer’s ribcage.
Fragmented Bird and Barren Tree
A black bird silhouette with fragmented wings leads to a barren tree in this tattoo rendered on the left side of the wearer’s torso.
Flying Bird Silhouettes
A pair of black bird silhouettes adorn the wearers’ wrists in this tattoo set.
Abstract Bird Portrait
A bird portrait is illustrated dematerializing into cubes in this black tattoo rendered over a red triangle.
Black and Gray Sparrow
A black and gray sparrow is portrayed on the wearer’s left forearm in this tattoo.
Flock of Flying Birds
Black and gray silhouettes of flying birds are rendered on the left side of the wearer’s chest in this tattoo.
Black Bird Outline
A simple black outline of a bird is illustrated on the wearer’s hand above the thumb in this tattoo.
Perched Birds Silhouettes
The silhouettes of four birds perched on a branch is portrayed in this tattoo.
Blue Birds Perched on Branch
Three blue birds with pink embellishments are pictured perched atop a branch growing pink flowers in this forearm tattoo.
Abstract Bird Portrait
A stylized bird portrait is illustrated on the right side of the wearer’s chest in this black, blue, and pink tattoo.
Stylized Silhouettes
This tattoo, rendered on the wearer’s wrist, portrays two birds in black ink.
Pair of Sparrows
A pair of black and gray sparrows are portrayed on the left side of the wearer’s chest in this tattoo.
Fragmented Bird and Barren Tree Revisited
Another example of the fragmented bird and barren tree we saw earlier in the article.
“See the bird…”
A blue bird perched on a branch is surrounded by the quote, “See the bird with the leaf in her mouth, after the flood all the colors came out.”
Feather and Bird Silhouettes
A feather dematerializes into bird silhouettes in this black and gray tattoo rendered on the wearer’s torso.
Anchor and Flock of Birds
An anchor is attached to a perforated line that leads to a flock of flying birds in this black and gray chest tattoo.
Red and Blue Bird Outlines
A blue outline and a red outline of a simplified bird portrayal are rendered on the wearer’s forearm in this tattoo.
Small Hummingbird
A small realistically colored hummingbird is illustrated on the wearer’s forearm in this tattoo.
Black and Purple Raven
A black raven is portrayed in mid-flight with purple watercolor splatters accenting the outline of the main image.
“Always” Infinity Symbol
An infinity symbol is portrayed with the silhouettes of three flying birds and the word, “Always.”
Feather and Bird Silhouettes
This tattoo, rendered on the wearer’s right shoulder blade, portrays a feather dematerializing into bird silhouettes in black ink.
Flying Bird Silhouettes
Four flying bird silhouettes are portrayed on the wearer’s left shoulder blade in this tattoo.
Dandelion and Bird Silhouettes
A dandelion with blue and purple accents is portrayed with its seeds flying into the wind leading four bird silhouettes accented with the same colors.
Stylized Bird Portrait
A stylized bird portrait is rendered in a style reminiscent of a sketch in this forearm tattoo.
Dove with Olive Branch
A simplified depiction of a dove is portrayed with an olive branch in its mouth and accompanied by a red heart outline in this tattoo.
Cardinal with Blue Roses
A cardinal with a strand of pearls in its mouth is accompanied by a pair of blue roses in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s upper left arm.
Birds with Branch
A pair of black bird silhouettes are illustrated above a black branch with red flowers in this forearm tattoo.
Pair of Doves
A pair of black and gray doves are illustrated on the wearer’s right wrist in this tattoo.
Uncaged Bird
A black bird silhouette is portrayed next to an open cage in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s right shoulder blade.
Perched Birds
A pair of black and gray birds are pictured atop a branch in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s wrist.
Blue Bird with Red Roses
A blue bird is accompanied by a red rose in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s forearm.
Black and Gray Sparrows
A flock of black and gray sparrows are portrayed on the outside of the wearer’s left foot in this tattoo.
Erratic Bird Silhouettes
Black bird silhouettes compose the shape of a heart in the bottom portion of this forearm tattoo.
“…Fall before you fly”
A flock of black bird silhouettes is accompanied by the quote, “Sometimes you’ve gotta fall before you fly,” in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s left shoulder blade.
Abstract Bird Portrait
A vibrantly colored stylized bird portrait is portrayed on the wearer’s back in this tattoo.
“Freedom” Bird Portrait
A stylized portrait of a hummingbird is accented by blue and purple watercolors and accompanied by the word, “Freedom,” in this tattoo.
Photoshopped Bird Silhouettes
This obviously photoshopped image portrays five black bird silhouettes on the wearer’s left shoulder.
Colorful Sparrow
A vibrantly colored sparrow is portrayed behind the wearer’s left ear.
Abstract Bird Portrait
This abstract piece illustrates a multicolored bird covered in a sporadic pattern perched atop a green vine.
Dandelion and Origami Swans
Origami swans and dandelion seeds are illustrated over a watercolor swirl in this tattoo that starts on the wearer’s chest and ascends the wearer’s neck.
“Come Correct”
A black and gray dove is accompanied by the phrase, “Come correct,” in this tattoo.
Black Bird Portrait
A stylized black bird portrait is portrayed on the wearer’s ribcage in this tattoo.
“Free”
The word free leads to a bird silhouette in this black tattoo.
Black and Red Sleeve
A black sleeve featuring birds and flowers is accented with a red pattern and berries in this tattoo.
Patterned Bird Portrait
A bird with black, orange, and red feathers is covered in an ornate pattern in this arm tattoo.
Bird Silhouettes
Multiple black bird silhouettes are seen in this forearm tattoo.
Black and Gray Bird Portrait
A black and gray bird portrait is rendered on the wearer’s left shoulder blade in this tattoo.
Stylized Hummingbird Portrait
A vibrantly colored hummingbird is portrayed on the right side of the wearer’s chest in this tattoo.
Patterned Hummingbird Portrait
A vibrantly colored hummingbird covered in an ornate pattern is rendered on the wearer’s right shoulder blade in this tattoo.
Bird Silhouettes and Ink Splatter
A black ink splatter and bird silhouettes are portrayed on the wearer’s forearms in this tattoo.
Bird Silhouette
A black bird silhouette is portrayed on the wearer’s left wrist in this tattoo.
“Psalm 139”
A dove is illustrated next to a wooden cross accompanied by the phrase, “Psalm 139,” in this black and gray tattoo.
Black and Red Sparrow Portrait
A black and red sparrow portrait is rendered on the left side of the wearer’s chest in this tattoo.
“13” Sparrow Portrait
A black, red, and yellow sparrow is accompanied by the number 13 in this tattoo.
Black and Gray Sparrows
Four black and gray sparrows are depicted on the left side of the wearer’s torso in this tattoo.
Barren Tree and Bird Silhouettes
A barren tree is surrounded by bird silhouettes in this black tattoo.
Watercolor Parrot
A watercolor-style macaw parrot is rendered on the wearer’s torso in this tattoo.
Patterned Sparrow
A sparrow covered in an ornate pattern is rendered in black ink in this tattoo.
Perched Crow
A crow is illustrated perched atop a branch while a black tree sits in the background of this tattoo.
Hummingbirds in Love
A pair of purple hummingbirds are portrayed over a green and blue background that forms the shape of a heart in this chest tattoo.
Perched Bird Silhouette
The black silhouette of a bird perched on a branch is illustrated on the wearer’s left shoulder blade in this tattoo.
Bird Perched on Coffee Cup
A bird covered in a series of wavy lines is portrayed perched atop an overturned coffee cup in this black and gray tattoo.
Bird Holding Red String
A black and gray bird is portrayed with a red string in its mouth in this tattoo rendered on the wearer’s left bicep.
Birds on a Wire Silhouette
A pair of bird silhouettes are depicted on a wire in this black wrist tattoo.
Birds and Flowers
A delicately colroed collage of flowers and birds is rendered on the wearer’s right thigh in this tattoo.
Bird and Flowers
A black bird is accompanied by a pair of red roses in this thigh tattoo.
Bird and Flowers
A finely detailed bird is portrayed perched on a branch holding
Black and Gray Birds and Flowers
Bee, Birds, and Flowers Chest Piece
A bee functions as the centerpiece of this tattoo featuring purple flowers on one side and a bird on the other.
Nested Chicken
A chicken sitting in its nest is rendered on the wearer’s stomach in black ink in this tattoo.
Bird and Berries
A bird is portrayed perched on a branch holding red and purple berries in this upper arm tattoo.
Black and Grey Half Sleeve featuring Vulture
A multitude of images including a vulture contribute to this black and gray half sleeve.
Stylized Bird Portrait
A vibrantly colored bird with a small heart shaped embellishment adorns the wearer’s torso in this tattoo.
Hummingbird and Berries
A hummingbird perched on a branch holding clusters of berries is portrayed in this forearm tattoo.
Bird and Halved Apple
A bird is portrayed above a halved apple in this upper arm tattoo.
Raven Portrait
A stylized portrait of a black raven is portrayed on the left side of the wearer’s torso in this tattoo.
Digitized Bird Portrait
A sparrow portrait is broken up by a series of digitized squares in the center of the piece in this tattoo.
Black and Gray Bird Portrait
This tattoo, rendered in black and gray, portrays a bird perched on a branch.
Patterned Owl
A blue-eyed owl covered in an ornate pattern is portrayed on the wearer’s thigh in this tattoo.
Stylized Bird Portrait
A varied colored palette is used in this piece depicting a stylized bird portrait.
Perched Hummingbird
An earth-tone color palette is used in this piece depicting a hummingbird perched on a branch.
Flying Birds
Simplified depictions of flying birds are illustrated on the wearer’s forearm in black and gray ink.
Bird and Rose
This black and gray tattoo, featured on the wearer’s upper left arm, portrays a bird with the name Riley on its wing flying toward a rose.
Black and Gray Bird Portrait
A black and gray bird portrait is illustrated on the wearer’s upper left arm in this tattoo.
Bird Perched on Moon
A stylized bird is portrayed perched atop a crescent moon in this upper arm tattoo.
Colorful Bird Portrait
A brightly colored bird portrait is illustrated in the center of the wearer’s back in this tattoo.
Wind-Up Mechanical Bird
This tattoo, rendered in black ink, portrays a wind-up bird with exposed gears on the wearer’s right shoulder blade.
