Birds are seen as messengers of the divine in both dreams and the real world. Depending on how spiritual you are and which way you lean, you may have different interpretations of a bird knocking on your window or crashing into it. Or, you may think that spirituality doesn’t play into it and dreams are just manifestations of our subconscious mind.
In either of those cases, figuring out what does it mean when a bird is knocking on your window in a dream or waking life can give you a lot of insight – either about your spiritual destiny or about your emotional and psychological state. However you choose to look at it, let’s delve into the following 7 interpretations as well as a quick breakdown of the different meanings of certain types of birds.
What does it mean when a bird is knocking on your window?
The natural explanations of a bird knocking on your window with its beak are that it’s playing with its reflection, it’s looking at something interesting inside, or the bird is trying to get your attention because the bird feeder outside is empty and the bird has figured out that it’s your job to fill it.
In the unfortunate event that a bird flies into your window, there are also similar natural explanations – the bird saw the sky’s reflection and thought the window is just open space, or you’re having horizontal blinds and the bird thought these were holes to fly into.
With all those and more natural explanations out of the way, however, what does spirituality have to say about a bird knocking on or flying into your window? And, should you see something of the sort in your dream, what does this mean about your emotional state, recent experiences, or general psychological well-being?
1. You’re receiving an important message
By far, the most common interpretation of dreaming of a bird knocking on your window is that it’s a message you’re receiving from up high. This message is usually seen as positive – good luck, incoming wealth and success, new love, etc.
From a psychological sense, however, a dream of this sort can be interpreted to mean that your subconscious mind is trying to point you in a certain direction. This can still often be positive but there is often a bit of urgency to it as well – don’t miss your chance, you should focus on this important thing, and so on.
2. This is a grave warning

Credit: mahwishhaad
That same dream can also lead to an entirely different perspective too – one of doom, fear, and despair. This could be because you’ve been having some major fears, anxiety, and depression in your real life and your subconscious is just translating those in your dream world. Or, it could be that you’re actively worried about the health and safety of a relative or spouse and the dream represents that.
A black bird flapping its wings and knocking on your window is especially ominous as is the case of birds slamming in your window with force as if trying to fly through it. The latter can be terrifying in real life too, although there we typically have perfectly natural explanations for it.
3. Change is a-coming
Birds aren’t just seen as messengers, they are also commonly seen as harbingers of change and transition. This is very much the case in the spring and fall when migratory birds fly away or back to your area. A dream of birds not only knocking or playing but outright nesting on your window is especially transformative and memorable.
The transformation such a dream points to is usually positive but can sometimes be negative too. That can be easy to realize if the tone of the dream was noticeably somber and the birds didn’t seem in good condition. In this case, that’s an invitation to look at your own reflection instead and contemplate why your life isn’t changing in the right direction.
4. You’re making new friends
Birds being friendly with you is a sign of new friendships and new beginnings. In waking life, a bird knocking on your window indicates that you’re getting an open invitation from someone new to get to know each other and spend more time together.
This can also be retrospective rather than predictive too – it can mean that you’ve been working on your social life as of late, you’ve been meeting new people, and your subconscious mind is happy about it.
5. You’re opening up to the world
Going off from the previous point, a bird knocking on your window or communicating with you in other ways can also indicate that you’re not just starting to meet new people but you’re embracing the whole wider world too.
The meaning here often is that your subconscious mind’s patience has paid off and your inner self is happy that you’re paying more attention to things from outside your immediate personal space. In this situation, remember not just seeing the bird knocking on your window but interact with it too – often going outside, feeding it, and so on.
6. Your life doesn’t flow in concert with the outside world
If a bird has suffered a window collision, this can often be because your blinds or curtains are horizontal rather than vertical and are causing birds to crash into them.
The symbolism here is that your life and actions don’t mesh well with your surroundings and you might need to change some things if you want your life to work better with the rest of the world.
This same meaning can be true even if no birds have crashed in your window but are merely knocking on it or flying around it in an urgent manner – this still indicates that something is wrong and you need to change some things to put your life back in balance with your surroundings.
7. You’ve been neglecting some of your responsibilities
A bird knocking on your window can be a clear sign that you’ve been neglecting your responsibilities toward the outside world. Such a message can simply and clearly be that there are things you need to do that aren’t in your immediate circumstance but are your responsibilities anyway.
A bird crashing in your window can mean that exact same thing too but delivers the message in a much more dire tone. The spiritual meaning of bird messages such as these is that looking inward may be great in general, but it shouldn’t leave you blind to the outward world either.
Consider the type of bird too
It’s also important to note that the different types of birds have different spiritual meanings. Whether those spiritual interpretations are correct or they are not but we believe in them anyway, a dream of a specific bird can hold such meaning either way.
- For example, a dove is usually seen to represent purity, hope, and peace in the Bible and in other religions and spiritualities. Doves are often seen as messengers from the heavens and it’s not uncommon for people to spend a lot of time analyzing such dreams to figure out exactly what those messages are.
- The owl is an almost universal symbol of wisdom, knowledge, insight, and vision. There are some who see the owl as a harbinger of ill health too, however, especially if the dream you’re seeing it in feels particularly creepy and unsettling.
- A bluebird or a hummingbird knocking on your window, in a dream or in real life, is generally seen as a bringer of joyous omens. If you pay close attention, however, and the dream seems sad with the bird sick or suffering, such a dream can mean the exact opposite.
- A raven, like most other black birds, is often a divisive bird in folklore and spirituality. Some see them as symbols of death and doom while others perceive them as symbols of wisdom and protection. What is true in your case will depend on how you perceive these birds personally.
In conclusion
Birds can have different meanings, as do the actions they perform in or dreams. If we pay close attention and observe the specific details and circumstances of a bird’s actions and its surroundings, we can surmise quite a lot about what that dream might mean.
As for a bird knocking on your window in your real life, that will depend largely on your particular spiritual leanings as well as how exactly the bird was knocking and what bird it was. A bird smashing into your window can be particularly ominous – in dreams and in real life.
Andric
Friday 10th of February 2023
Yellow vented bulbul comes knocking on my room window every morning for the past 2 weeks. What message is this?
BWM
Wednesday 21st of December 2022
Do you think it is spiritual or simply nature? See my previous comment. 👇👇👇
BWM
Wednesday 21st of December 2022
A Red Bird is hopping up & down and tapping at the windows across the front of my house and has during this entire week before Christmas. It was even attacked by a stray cat leaving feathers all over my porch; however it keeps coming back. This happen over a year ago by a Red Bird who nested and layed eggs near my front door. I have also had two different Mocking Birds tap for weeks in the last 10 years. Plus Birds crash into my windows all the time. On the back side of my house a small hawk and then an owl broke glass crashing so hard. My house overlooks a large creek deep in the woods.
FILLA
Thursday 8th of December 2022
I saw a yellow-bellied Dacni knocking on my window this afternoon. I trapped it by leaving open the window then it got into my kitchen, then it tried to fly out but in vain. I captured it. Does anyone know the meaning?
Gary Bob McDaniel
Sunday 27th of November 2022
Gary Bob McDaniel I live in Paradise, Texas on 5 Acres With 4 Houses. I Currently Live in The First House Built on The Property in 1986. My Mother and Father Lived in This Home For 10 Years 2007 Thru 2017. My Father Died in What is Now My Master Bedroom. My Mother Stayed in This Home For 7 Additional Years. They Were Both Bird People. They Kept 8 or 10 Hummingbird Feeders Out Year Round. My Mother Passed on June 27, 2020. I Have Lived in This Home For 2 Years 5 Months. I have A Female Cardinal That Has Been Flying into My Kitchen Window 10 To 12 Times/ 3 Times A Day for 27 Days. She Just Went Away After The Same 12 Times At 8:00am CST One Hour Ago. I have Talked To Her And I Am Here 24/7 Because I Am 100% Disabled. I Know When it is Her Because I Can Hear Her When She Starts. I Also Have Went To The Kitchen and Saw Her Repeatedly Fly Into The Kitchen Window At Least 2/ Dozen Times. Now 27 Days Times 3 Times A Day Equals 81 Times She Has Been Here. It is Unusual for Her to Come Back This Soon. She Has Only Been Gone for One Hour & 9 Minutes and She is Back Right Now. I AM Sitting in My Wheelchair in The Kitchen, Talking To Her. The Theiore Of A Possible Reflection is Not Possible Here. The Kitchen Window is On The North Side of The House. I have Read All I can Find About This Without Any Satisfaction. So I Have Written This Very Long Comment