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Birds – Positions

Introduction

Birds are commonly encountered in heraldry, especially eagles, which occur in a number of stylised positions, for example displayed. Other birds can also be described as to position, though very often the blazon simply states “...three martlets...” for example. In this case the bird is assumed to be facing sideways with its wings folded, as in Ergham for instance: Argent a chevron between three martlets sable

Positions

The terms used for birds are:

• Displayed: facing out from the shield, the wings fully extended; the common position for an eagle, then also known as a spread eagle.
• Displayed, wings inverted: as displayed, but with the wingtips turned down.
• Close: standing on the ground with the wings folded.
• Perched: perched on an object like a branch.
• Rising, Rousant: about to take wing. There are sub-divisions, though often only rising is mentioned, viz:
  1. wings elevated and displayed: with the wings open and the wingtips upwards.
  2. wings displayed and inverted: similar, with the wingtips turned down.
  3. wings displayed and addorsed: with the wings held back-to-back, the tips upwards.
  4. wings addorsed and inverted: with the wings back-to-back and the tips downwards.
• Soaring: Flying upwards.
• Volant: Flying more or less horizontally.

Note that there are a few special terms in addition to those above. For example, a peacock is said to be in his pride when he is shown affronté with his tail fully displayed in a colourful circle. Pelicans (which are drawn stylised) are shown vulning or wounding themselves by piercing the chest with the beak. This is the result of a misunderstanding whereby this bird was thought to feed its young on drops of its own blood! A pelican in her piety is shown thus vulning herself while standing in the nest with the young birds around her feet.

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© Gill Smith 1997, 1998