10 Russian proverbs about birds

1. “Всяк кулик свое болото хвалит” (“Vsyak kulik svoe boloto khvalit”)

"Every snipe praises their own swamp"

You can say this when your interlocutor talks for a very long time and in detail about something that is very dear to them. This is because snipes are known for their "talkativeness" and are ready to sing all day long during the mating season.

2. “Ночная кукушка дневную перекукует” (“Nochnaya kukushka dnevnuyu perekukuet”)

"The night cuckoo will out-cuckoo the day cuckoo"

This means that a husband will always side with his wife (with whom he spends the nights with) if there is a quarrel or conflict with his mother.

3. “Слово – не воробей, вылетит не поймаешь” (“Slovo ne vorobey, viletit ne poimaesh”)

"A word is not a sparrow, once it flies out, you can't catch it"

It is impossible to take back what was said rashly.

4. “Бей сороку и ворону – добьешься до белого лебедя” (“Bei soroku i voronu – dobiyoshsa do belogo lebedya”)

"Hit the magpie and the crow – you will get to the white swan"

Patience will help to achieve the desired result.

5. “Стреляного воробья на мякине не проведёшь” (“Strelyanogo vorobya na myakine ne provedesh”)

"You can't fool a seasoned sparrow with chaff"

Sparrows are smart birds. They will always look for ears of grain and will not be tempted by empty ones. So, it is quite difficult to deceive an experienced person.

6. “Соловья баснями не кормят” (“Solovia basnyami ne kormyat”)

"You can't feed a nightingale with fables"

This means that even the most beautiful words and promises will not bring material well-being.

7. “Коготок увяз, всей птичке пропасть” (“Kogotok uvyaz, vsei ptichke propast”)

"If the claw gets stuck, the whole bird is lost"

It is worth stumbling once, doing something bad, then there will be no turning back. This proverb was given to us by famous writer Leo Tolstoy: this was the original title of the play ‘The Power of Darkness’ about betrayal and murder.

8. “Красна птица опереньем, а человек – умением” (“Krasna ptitsa operenyem, a chelovek umenyem”)

"A bird is beautiful in its plumage, but a man is beautiful in his skill"

A bird is valued for its beauty, but a man is judged by his actions.

9. “Лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе” (“Luchshe sinitsa v rukah, chem zhuravl v nebe”)

"A tit bird in the hand is better than a crane in the sky"

If you are a realist, you will agree: it is better to live for today and not hope for vague prospects in the future.

10. “Гусь свинье не товарищ” (“Gus svinye ne tovarish”)

"A goose is not a pig's friend"

It happens that people have different views on literally everything and, therefore, sometimes, they will not find common language.