"Generally, society considers the southern hornbill to be a bad omen. In Zimbabwe and Malawi, some people believe that a hornbill perched on the roof of a house will bring misfortune to the occupants. If hornbills are seen gathered in odd numbers, it is considered a sign of death."

"However, research in recent years has shown that rats are not the primary disease vectors. Instead, humans, along with the fleas and body lice they carry, are responsible for most of the spread of this disease."

For example, in Roman mythology, the hooting of an owl is a sign of impending death. Owls were believed to have foretold the deaths of several Roman emperors, as their deaths occurred after the hooting of an owl.

This time coincides perfectly with the Obon summer festival, which celebrates the return of the spirits of the deceased to visit their loved ones. Large red dragonflies are seen as messengers of these spirits, according to an ethnographic study from 1959.

In ancient Egypt, vultures were viewed as symbols of purity within the cycle of life and death. The ancient Egyptians may have believed that all vultures were female and spontaneously born from eggs. This led to vultures being used as headdresses by the wives of pharaohs and female pharaohs for protection.

"In Irish folklore, Badb is one of the trio of war goddesses who take the form of a raven. This folklore, according to a 19th-century article published in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, states that she could be an omen of bloodshed, instilling fear in soldiers on the battlefield."

According to The Raupo Book of Maori Proverbs, a common saying goes, "bats fly at dusk, hokioi flies at night." Legend has it that the bird has never been seen, only heard at night through its cries in the darkness. There is a possibility that hokioi was actually a bird that is now extinct and known as the Haast's eagle (Hieraaetus moorei), which is a large predator capable of carrying small children.