Focus on Detailing: Birds
Written by: Annissa Cole
Published: 10th February 2026
At J.Gumbrill, we are always happy to work with our customers to produce a memorial that is an appropriate tribute to the person or people it commemorates. This includes appropriate dates and names but can also extend much further than that. Last time, Annissa talked about floral details and here, she examines another of the most popular requests when it comes to detailing: birds.
Memorials are erected for many different reasons. They act as a focus in a special place or encourage our memories, for example. However, many people like to use the memorial to send a message about the person who has died, to tell others about their life and those who they have left behind. We can do this in several ways: by the material we choose or the words we pick, but another is by adding detail to the memorial. Detailing comes in many forms, which you can explore more on this section of our website, but one of the requests we often receive is to add an image of a bird.
Lots of birds convey certain messages or ideas, and these come from several different places. For example, we might associate doves with the story of Noah’s Flood from the Bible. Phoenixes are often thought to symbolise rebirth and new beginnings and the Egyptian God Horus is often shown as a falcon. The Sufi branch of Islam sees birds as conveying the soul. Birds are often used in traditions such as heraldry. We may also associate certain birds with certain qualities, such as:
- Owls: wisdom and intelligence
- Swans: commitment
- Eagles: courage or freedom
- Doves: peace
- Robins: remembrance or rebirth
- Seabirds: oceans or journeys
There is also the symbolism of flight as an idea of freedom and release which might be especially poignant in remembering someone if they have been unwell and not able to get about as they once did. Robins are especially symbolic to many people who believe a loved one’s soul can be seen in them.
Creating an image of something that someone loved can be a way to tell us about them in the broadest of ways. This is a way to evoke memories of them and remember their preferences when we visit the memorials. Someone who loved nature and wildlife might be well-conveyed by decorating their memorial with a wild bird. They can also convey particular climates or places:
- Seascapes: gulls or waders
- Tropical places: hummingbirds or macaws
- America: eagles
- Cold places: penguins
The type of material you choose for the stone may have an impact on the type of design you choose or feel you would like. Slate headstones are particularly suitable for designs that look more like an art piece. Our skilled team of letter cutters are artists who can create beautiful imagery as well as striking wording onto the face of a stone. The difference in colour between the stone’s face and its inner can provide contrast and emphasise the image which has been created, so this might be a choice for something more subtle or larger in scale. Dark granites, which need to be sandblasted, result in sharp images and bright colours standing proud.
Not all burial places will allow memorials to be decorated in all ways, and some may have very strict rules as to what is permitted, not only in terms of detailing but in terms of the materials permitted. Therefore you need to ensure you understand what is allowed before you make any final decisions. A churchyard might allow an outline of a robin where they won’t premit its distinctive red breast, perhaps. However, part of J.Gumbrill’s expert service is to work with you to understand the regulations and we will try to assist in ensuring that the proposed memorial meets those criteria and is accepted for installation in due course.
Next time, in the last of this series, Annissa looks at another of the most common forms of decoration- insects. If you would like to commission a personal and fitting memorial to someone who has died, please do contact us to let us know how we can help.
Thanks for your time, Annissa.
