“The raven is the bird of all the gods. It was the bird of Odin and the bird of Jesus Christ. It will also be the bird of the god Skandilán, who has yet to be born. Whomever the raven rends attains salvation.”

“Ravens are the birds I'll miss most when I die. If only the darkness into which we must look were composed of the black light of their limber intelligence. If only we did not have to die at all. Instead, become ravens.”

“Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”

“I wish I had been born a bird instead," he said.
"I wish we had all been born birds instead.”

“Say I'm a bird! Say it! Say it now!"
"You're a bird."
"Now say you're a bird too."
"If you're a bird, I'm a bird.”

“He is a fool who lets slip a bird in the hand for a bird in the bush.”

“If you're a bird… I'm a bird…”

“To my deprivation, to my sorrow, sinew was brave.
The world would not be if not for my offspring.
I am a bard to be praised. The unskilful
May he be possessed by the ravens and eagle and bird of wrath.”

“The problem of knowledge is that there are many more books on birds written by ornithologists than books on birds written by birds and books on ornithologists written by birds”

“He bought a bird in its own cage, with a sheet over it so no one could see the bird and the bird couldn't see anyone, and the whole thing was a secret bird… Everything he said was tinged with the unreadability of someone who would bring a bird on cruise ship.”