Vulture tattoo meaning and symbolism

Vulture tattoos have long been popular, particularly with men who either are attached to this bird or think it’s cool.

The main reason for that is probably because this animal has always been associated with masculinity, hunting prowess and power over other creatures, thanks to its size and aggressiveness.

Vulture leg tattoo
Vulture leg tattoo @ caitlyntattoos

what does a vulture mean in a tattoo ?

hunter instinct

The most common assumption about the symbolism of tattoos depicting this animal is that they represent a predatory personality. Vulture tattoos are thought to symbolize one’s willingness and ability to hunt, kill and devour enemies (in case of predators), or to make use of them (in case of scavengers).

opportunist

Another popular interpretation is that these tattoos stand for the ability to take advantage of opportunities and/or see them before they become obvious, which is an important skill especially if one has chosen the desk job over the career of hunting.

detachment

Many people believe that vulture tattoos represent the concept of detachment, which comes from both scavenging and predation. The symbolism of these tattoos lies in their ability to remain unattached even while they are making use of opportunities.

Survival (hard times)

Let’s start with the fact that vultures are scavengers, feeding mostly on carrion and weak animals. As such, these tattoos are often associated with the idea of survival. Vulture in a tattoo may symbolize that one has managed to survive through difficult times and/or is willing to do it again.

Vulture tattoo placements

Vulture tattoos can be placed almost anywhere on the body, but they are quite popular in some particular areas. The most common placements include:

upper arms / shoulders / chest / back / stomach

As said above, vulture tattoos are mostly done for a reason, and their meaning is closely related to that reason.

In the case of people who get vulture tattoos for hunting, the chest and back are probably among the most popular places.

What’s more important is that vulture tattoos look great when done in bigger sizes, so they can cover the majority of your body.

Do vulture tattoos look the best in black or colored ink?

In fact, vulture tattoos can be done in every color imaginable, but black ink remains a common choice because it looks truly fantastic and makes a powerful statement.

Vulture tattoos work best for men

As already mentioned above, vulture tattoos have always been associated with masculinity and hunting prowess. Men used to choose this option more often than women did, with the exception of vulture tattoos done in the context of spiritual beliefs, for instance.

Vulture shoulder tattoo
Vulture shoulder tattoo @ adrian.darktattoo

What do you think ?

Have any experience is this field ? Leave your comment below ! Thanks for reading