Fearsome Feathers: 40+ Sinister Birds We Don’t Want To Mess With

In recent years, humans have finally started to recognize the intelligence and capability of birds. Corvids in particular can be arguably smarter than many humans. They use tools, can recognize faces, and even have a concept of exchanging goods — we’re not kidding; these all happened. Given all of the studies about avian intelligence, it actually shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that there are groups online dedicated to honoring these future rulers.

One such group, AuraBirds, on Twitter is full of pictures of “birds with threatening auras.” The account shares pictures of all sorts of birds from all over the world, each showing us why we should never underestimate birds. Maybe after going through this list, you won’t be so quick to shoo away a pigeon bobbing in your way.

Let me go

First of all, we have no idea why this bird is inside a carrier that’s meant for dogs and cats. Maybe that’s why he’s furious. He belongs in a spacious cage at the very least. This cockatoo must have already been squawking like crazy when this was taken.

It’s no wonder this Hulk of a bird destroyed the carrier and pecked through the plastic. We would be terrified if we were the owner. Maybe let him fly free around the house from now on. He clearly is not meant to be contained.

Pure evil

This parrot looks like it’s planning something evil and is briefing his minions about it. You know what’s missing from this scene? A musical number detailing the evil plan he’s mastered. The doom lighting and the thunder overhead really completes the picture.

This is reminding us of “Be Prepared,” Scar’s number in The Lion King, with the hyenas marching in the cave. The bird is seriously giving off Disney villain vibes and we are here for it. You better not mess with this parrot.

Nobody messes with me

Human siblings aren’t the only siblings who fight. In fact, when animal siblings fight, it can get a lot messier. Exhibit A: these birds, who were just hanging out at their home base, all of a sudden become completely annoyed with one another.

This bird literally kicked his sibling in the mouth to shut him up. Has anyone ever done this to their brother or sister to keep them quiet? A bit extreme, right? That’ll teach this bird not to mess with his big brother.

Boys night

Who said birds can’t have a boys night? These boys are having a great night playing poker in Birds Vegas. Don’t they look down to business with their chips and their little beer bottles? The looks on their faces say, “Are you playin’ or nah?”

We wouldn’t want to mess with these guys. They look like they’re battling each other in a very intense game when we walked in. We probably shouldn’t disturb them. We’ll just walk away and let them get back to their business.

The horror

If this appeared in our house in the middle of the night, we’d be hosting an exorcism. There is no way we’re letting anything like this slide. It’s straight out of a horror movie and we’re not here for it.

Sure, it’s just a bird sitting on an upturned lamp. But that’s not going to stop anyone from still being freaked out. Just look at its evil stare. The orange ring around its eyes. The way it’s poised as if it’s ready to pounce. No thank you.

Intimidation

It may just be a tiny white bird, but the intimidating aura it exudes is enough to scare this girl. Unfortunately for her, there is no hiding. This girl is so terrified that she pulled her sweatshirt over her head.

All this bird has to do is just sit there on her back and not budge. Soon enough, she’ll give up and succumb to his wishes. The ultimate intimidation tactic is to be completely still. It totally psyches the enemy out.

Power angle

In cinematography, shooting a character from a slightly lower angle can signify power. Its part of the art of film making. The character looms over the camera, imposing his authority. That’s basically what is going on in this next picture too.

Imagine if you were the seed on the floor, and you saw this monstrosity of a bird just standing over you. You’d be completely terrified, and you’d be right. You wouldn’t even know what hit you because this bird would pick you up in its beak so fast.

When Chemical X kicks in

Wow, look at how shredded this bird is. Those biceps could punch through steel. He must be some kind of new mutant, intent on taking over the world. His mighty human arms have come in, and he’s feeling the power.

The Chemical X is clearly kicking in for this bird, and his new powers are just pulsing through his veins. Soon enough, we will hear of him in the news as the cause of all the destruction and catastrophe going on.

Scammers

Oh look, it’s a whole family of scammers. While the little ducklings do their thing being all cute and distracting, this unassuming lady has no idea that this momma duck is stealing a wad of cash from her purse. It’s the classic scam.

Lesson learned: always stay on guard. You wouldn’t want to lose $20 only to find out it wasn’t even a pickpocket. It was just a group of clever ducks. Bested by the feathered friends.  Watch out for innocent distractions.

Nothing can stop me

Here’s one of those bizarre headlines you never thought you would read or hear. Birds may seem extremely graceful when they sail across the sky with their wings outstretched. But they can be pretty vicious if they have to be, too.

This bird is having none of it today. All it wants is to rest for a bit on this balcony after a long day of flying and looking for food. Why do humans have to be so mean? Can’t they just let the birds perch on their balconies in peace?

The other way around

Hold on. Are we seeing this picture correctly? Isn’t the chicken supposed to be in the pen and the children outside of it? This just looks like the chicken is parenting the children, watching over them until they get their homework done.

The kid in the black shirt looks like he needs some help there from his body language. Too bad the only parent in the room is busy taking this photo. The chicken seems to be doing this whole intimidating parent thing right.

Defying gravity

As if it’s not enough that birds in flight defy gravity. They can defy gravity while perching on concrete, too. Look at this pigeon. This photo isn’t rotated incorrectly. It’s just this pigeon is basically standing at a 90-degree angle.

How does he stay standing like that? Is this just a perfectly timed photograph, or is this bird really doing the impossible and defying gravity? Either way, this is just more proof that birds are superior animals and are often overlooked.

Runaway geese

What do you do when you’re stopped behind a car full of geese in traffic? Well, all you can really do is take a picture and just pray the bag strapped to the roof isn’t the driver. We would part ways very quickly if that were the case.

There have to be at least ten geese in that back seat. We don’t know why they’re there, or where they are headed, but we can only hope the car is on route to a safe place. Also, we don’t want to think about what it smells like in that car.

Chaotic energy

This image is already giving us so much stress. If you’re working on an important document, it’s best to keep your pets far away from the computer as possible. Otherwise, they might just end up deleting everything you’ve worked on.

Such chaotic energy exuding from this bird right now. It’s the way he’s sticking his tongue out that shows just how mischievous he is and what he’s up to. You just know that he knows what he’s doing. It’s not an accident.

A one-sided relationship

As sad as it sounds, this is usually how it is with pets. You give them everything you have to offer. You invest all the love, money, time, and energy. And yet, all they repay you with are bites and scratch marks.

While this cockatoo may look majestic, it’s just the same as any other pet. This owner must have been real annoyed thinking the relationship was really one sided. And this bird only seems to be saying, “I got what I wanted!”

Domino’s dodo

Ever had a bird deliver you pizza? Yeah, we’ve never experienced that either. But this person got lucky enough to see this rarity for himself. This bird already looks like he’s part of the team, because he looks like he’s wearing a hat.

Doesn’t matter if this bird is a real pizza delivery person or not. If there’s a box of Domino’s pizza on our doorstep, we’re bringing it inside. If we’re feeling extra generous, we might even leave the bird a slice.

Enough!

Sometimes, it’s not you that’s had enough of your pet’s shenanigans. It’s the other way around. This bird has probably had it with his owner’s constant strumming and bad singing. There’s no other way to stop him but to destroy the guitar.

Poor guy. All he wanted was to have some me time with his music. Instead, he has to consider the feelings of his pet birdy. He really should just play somewhere his bird can’t find him, like behind locked doors.

A badass

It’s bird vs. cactus in the wild, and as proven by this photo, the bird wins! The cactus’s spikes aren’t enough to phase this bird, which apparently is a Gila woodpecker. Yup. This bird can peck through the cactus’s thick skin!

Never underestimate the power of a tiny creature. They can be extremely fierce. Despite their size, they can actually surprise you. With the strength of its beak, and its little feet that seem to not register pain, this bird is unstoppable.

Work distraction

Who said birds can’t be clingy? Cats and dogs aren’t the only ones that would try to distract their owners while they’re working. Just look at this little green guy. He looks pretty angry that his owner isn’t giving him enough attention.

Being this tiny, this bird could very easily jump on the laptop without disrupting anything. “What are you doing, human? I DEMAND attention!” It squawks and squawks, until his human relents. These animals really know how to get their way.

The power of Christ summons you

It seems that this pet bird has been displaying unusual behavior lately. The owners decided to have an exorcism just to make sure they weren’t being tormented by something evil. But from the looks of it, this bird is just being himself.

The mischievous look on its face is enough to let you know that this isn’t evil. It’s just his personality. This bird is saying, “You can shove that cross at me all you want. I’m still going to ruin your life.”

Bird attack

Birds can be savage too. In fact, a lot of people have admitted to being scared of birds. Whether it’s seagulls that won’t stop until they get a hold of your sandwich at the beach, or ducks who will chase you down by the lake, you gotta watch your back.

This person was being chased by a bird, and still managed to snap a picture while he was running away. It’s basically a rampage. You do not want to get in the way of an angry bird like this one. Remember, you can run as fast as you can. But they can fly.

Optical illusion

Okay, this may not be a bird with an ominous aura. Compared to all the other birds we’ve seen so far, this one is actually pretty innocent. But this is just funny. You can try this trick with your pet bird, or any pet really.

Just fill a clear glass with water and place it in front of your pet. This bird looks like it’s seeing its own reflection and is actually amused. It looks like it’s been compressed into an ice cube and is now trying to find its way back into its actual shape.

We got a runner

Just look at the strength this bird has. We don’t know how fast he was running, but he literally burst through the gates and escaped. He was so strong that the steel grates practically bent just from his intense force.

You do not want to mess with this bird. Whatever he has just escaped from, we have a feeling he doesn’t want to come back. So maybe the people who have been keeping him there should not go looking for him, unless they want to be in harm’s way.

I will seriously hurt you

Now where on earth did this bird get this sword from? We’re kind of hoping he would put the sword down and not hold it up to our faces. Not sure what we ever did to hurt this bird, but we really don’t want to be on his bad side.

With the style of the sword, he looks like he hails from the medieval times and has just stepped out of a time machine in 2021. Maybe he’s looking to take on a rebel prince parrot who escaped the once mighty kingdom.

Intruder alert

You know that awkward moment when you walk into a public bathroom stall to find someone doing their business there? They just hadn’t locked the door properly. This photo is giving us that vibe exactly. Except instead of awkward, it’s a little terrifying.

This bird is looking straight at the toilet intruder like he has done something gravely wrong. It’s not saying anything, but its glare is telling the intruder that he needs to leave before he gets in a lot of trouble.

He’s just mad

When this Twitter account said it’s dedicated to birds with threatening auras, this bird definitely got the memo. Even with the tub full of bird feed right under his nose, he is still exuding a very ominous aura that we don’t want to be near.

It’s like the food isn’t going to be enough to calm him down. He’s eating angrily, and he’s glaring at the camera as if the world has either wronged him and he’s out for revenge, or he’s just extremely hungry. There is a look of pure hatred in his eyes.

That one neighbor

We all have that one neighbor who is nosy as heck. They’re always snooping around with one ear open to all the gossip and talk around the town. You won’t always notice them, but they are always lurking around the corner.

This bird looks exactly like that kind of neighbor. With those red eyes and the still, silent demeanor, she is definitely eavesdropping on someone’s conversation in this photo. Better be careful. Your secret is never safe when she is around.

Let me out of here!

This is why animals belong in their natural habitat. Confinement will drive them crazy at one point or another. Especially with birds, who are used to traveling some distances every day, being in a small cage just doesn’t do them any good.

This guy is just dying to get out. He can’t stand being in a cage any longer. It’s screaming and squawking, demanding freedom and threatening to wreak havoc if he isn’t let out. Poor guy. Maybe it’s time to move on to bigger pastures.

I destroy everything

Can’t you just tell that this bird is a troublemaker? It lives up to the signage on the board. The way it’s practically smirking while it chews off that plastic letter ‘E’ tells us it has done far worse damage than this before.

This bird looks so proud of what he’s done, too. He’s so pleased that he just tore down a letter from this board. Truly a chaotic aura around this little guy. We’re sure the owner has plenty more photos of him in his mischief.

Attack of the geese

Like seagulls, geese are also known for chasing down and attacking humans. They are relentless in their chase. You do not want to upset a goose, let alone two of them. But somehow the person who took this photo has managed to do just that.

This image is truly terrifying. If you’ve never thought about how geese look with their mouth open ready to devour you, well, now you know. We’re just happy it’s a picture and not real life for us. They look more like mutants than geese here, which is just horrifying.

Optical illusion, part 2

Look at this pair of dumdums trying to remember where they parked their car. It’s like they’ve stepped on a miniature parking lot. The image’s optical illusion makes it seem like these birds are humungous. But really, they’re on a ledge above the lot.

They look like they’re having an argument. There doesn’t seem to be any threatening aura here, however. If anything, these birds look like a husband and wife who are blaming each other for the fact that they lost track of their car.

Capable of violence

It’s always concerning when you see your pet bird operating scissors and pliers around the house. There’s no limit to what damage they might do with it. They could hurt themselves, they could hurt you, and they could destroy your property.

Whoever thought that keeping a bird loose in the house was safe, they should think again. Parrots are such cheeky, mischievous birds that they can very easily cause harm in a home. It’s probably best to keep anything sharp, even tiny scissors, out of their way.

I win

In a fight between a chicken and an eagle, who do you think would win? Eagles have a rapport for being mighty and predatory. Chickens don’t really have the same kind of reputation. But this one chicken proved everybody wrong.

As it turns out, in a battle between a chicken and an eagle, the chicken would win. It would emerge victorious, standing over the eagle and forcing the majestic creature to tap out. This chicken is basking in his win right now.

Squawk!

Well, what’s going on here? This bird that kind of looks like a watermelon got its foot stuck in between these cushions and is freaking the heck out. So much so that it looks demonic in this photo. It’s just an ill-timed snap.

This poor bird looks really terrified, and the only thing the owner did was just sit by and take photos. We hope somebody stopped to pry that little leg free. A bird needs to flap its wings and fly.

Nothing to see here

Nothing to see here, just a swan with its head stuck in a drainage pipe. It was probably looking for something to eat, but then got too preoccupied with the way its voice bounced off the pipe walls, creating an echo.

This bird has been wrongly classified by Twitter account, AurasBirds. There is definitely no threatening aura here. Just the aura of a curious and playful 5-year-old child who would put himself in harm’s way if it meant satisfying his curiosity.

Creepy

Everything about this picture is making us uncomfortable. From the guy’s semi-suggestive facial expression in the photo on the left, to the way those birds are basically pecking his eyes out in the photo on the right. It’s all a little too much.

This man seems to have a very close relationship with his birds. We have to admit, they are pretty cute, and they boast very Summer 2023 colors. But there’s just something about them that screams horror movie birds and we can’t put our fingers on it.

Demon bird

Okay, we know this is probably a freak camera flash moment. But it does make this bird look like it just came from the depths of the underworld, with the red hue and silver eyes. The way it is looking straight into the camera is giving us goosebumps.

Better stay away from this bird. In fact, by the time this photo was posted, it was probably too late for the guy who took the photo. He may have already been attacked by this demon bird. Maybe he actually tweeted this from the underworld.

Mug shot

This is amazing. This picture doesn’t even exude an ominous aura. It’s just hilarious. The fact that there would be a mug out there that very accurately resembles the head of a cockatoo gives us so much joy. And we think the actual bird loves it too!

We’re out here wishing this mug were actually the face of the cockatoo. We wonder what this bird thought when he first saw his face just sitting on the table, bodyless, staring up at him. Maybe he’s sticking his head in there to try to find the rest of the bird’s body.

Phoenixes still exist

Who said phoenixes were mythological creatures that don’t exist in real life? Here’s proof that they still roam the skies. This phoenix has just risen from the ashes. We can tell by the fiery glow coming from under it’s wings.

Okay, fine. It’s not fire, it’s just the glow from a yellow light. But you have to admit, it’s created a pretty cool effect. This bird truly knows how to find its light. What a model. An actual runway star.

Quantum turkey

This turkey is about to mess up the time-space continuum as we know it. It’s actually just emerged from another dimension and has come to this era to bring grave news. The world is ending in a week and there is no way to stop it.

Alright, alright. We admit we have been watching a little too much of The Umbrella Academy. But if you’re being real with yourself, this does look like a shot out of a sci-fi movie. At least, the internet seems to think so.

Nobody can take him seriously

Who here is looking at this little feather ball and thinking, “Oh, it’s angry, I’m so scared”? No one? Yeah, same here. The thing is, no matter how angry you are, when you’re a tiny, furry, pastel-colored bird, no one can take you seriously.

This bird can run its mouth all it wants. At the end of the day, everyone watching will just go, “Awww, it’s so cute and fluffy!!!” All we want to do is pick this dude up in our cupped hands and cuddle it to sleep.

Stop putting makeup on

This is what it looks like when your pet bird thinks that you look a lot better without makeup on. This bird pecked at this woman’s beauty blender just so that she would stop using it. Look at that face peering through the bars.

The bird is saying, “Now will you stop putting all that gunk on your face?” It probably thinks that little nick is going to stop its human from wearing make up. But this lady is just going to use the other side to blend her products in.

Get out of my pan!

Do these birds not have their own bird house or cage? Because it looks like they’re fighting over space in a pan. The more dominant bird has taken over and has managed to shoo the other bird out with his angry aura.

We wonder if these guys know what it really means when they’re in a pan. If they knew that bird in a pan means fried bird, they probably wouldn’t be fighting for space there. They’d be halfway out the door.