Think aloud
Want to get a sparrow tattoo? Well, birds are common across tattoo styles thanks to their simplicity and symbolism. Birds represent freedom, courage, transformation, and even travel. Specific birds represent specific meanings, and you’re the one who needs to decide which bird represents you the most.
Going all the way back to the start of American traditional tattooing, birds were all the rage thanks to sailors who would oftentimes opt for swallow tattoos to make sure everyone knew they were sailors. Nowadays, bird tattoos tend to carry the meaning of far more than the said sailing experience.
Whether you’re considering an old-school sparrow tattoo, a fine-line tattoo that doesn’t attract too much attention, or a colorful tattoo that turns heads and raises questions, sparrow tattoos carry nothing but great symbolism. Sparrow tattoos are seen as symbols of hope, determination, and the beauty of nature.
With that out of the way, we’re more than happy to help you pick out the perfect ink out of the bunch. We’re bringing you a few of our favorite sparrow tattoos to get you started.
1. A tattoo of two house sparrows on the upper arm
Starting with a tattoo of two sparrows, you might want to amplify the meaning of the tattoo by opting for more than one element. You can add flowers, branches, or even sparkles to the tattoo, but by adding another sparrow, you’re playing with the “true love” meaning. You do you.
2. A cute cover-up tattoo with sparrows and flowers
A cover-up tattoo can be challenging to execute, but that’s not always the case. A cover-up tattoo with sparrows and flowers can be a great way to add more meaning and symbolism to the tattoo without going overboard or making the entire tattoo messy and meaningless.
3. A tattoo of a sweet sparrow that might or might not be dead
A sparrow tattoo typically represents purity, humility, and a bond you share with someone special – but that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. You might be on the hunt for something a little more edgy, extreme, and even scary. A tattoo of a dead sparrow (you can see the exposed ribcage, right?) might be the one.
4. A sparrow tattoo on the shoulder
A shoulder tattoo can be an excellent way for you to be able to conceal or reveal your tattoo, depending on your personal preferences. With a shoulder tattoo of a sparrow, you’re guaranteed to be the talk of the office or the dinner table at your parent’s house. How fun!?
5. A sparrow tattoo on the hand
We can’t say the same thing about a hand tattoo, though! When you get a hand tattoo, you need to be ready for the entire world to see it, comment on it, and even change your opinion on it. We suggest opting for a sparrow tattoo because you’re less likely to regret getting a tattoo of a beautiful bird.
6. A tiny sparrow tattoo on the collarbone
When you’re worried about the things we mentioned beforehand, though, you might want to opt for a tiny sparrow tattoo on the collarbone. Collarbone tattoos are sensual and seductive, but they’re *also* meant to be hidden from the rest of the world. Contrary to popular belief, collarbone birds aren’t basic.
7. A sparrow tattoo on the ribcage
While we’re on the topic of proper tattoo placement, a ribcage tattoo might be the right one for you. A ribcage tattoo can be an excellent way to experiment with diferent styles and symbols without worrying about the rest of the world. What about a sparrow tattoo on the ribcage?
8. A tattoo of two realistic sparrows on the upper arm
Getting a sparrow tattoo means spending hours and hours researching diferent styles to see which of the million might work for you and your personal preferences. A realistic sparrow tattoo might not be an easy one to execute, but you’re guaranteed to walk out of the tattoo parlor with a smile on your face.
9. A tattoo of two softly shaded sparrows
Softly shaded sparrows are (arguably) even more striking and symbolic than the realistic ones. Whether you’re a fan of softer tattoos or you’re willing to experiment with a style you’ve never tried before, we suggest opting for a softly shaded sparrow tattoo somewhere on the body.
10. A tattoo of a sparrow surrounded by flowers
When you’re unsure of which elements to add to your sparrow tattoo, you might want to play with flowers, branches, and botanical symbols that complement the sparrow perfectly. After all, flowers represent love, beauty, immortality, success, grief, struggle, and life.
11. A tattoo of a sparrow carrying an olive branch
A sparrow and an olive branch might be the perfect match. While a sparrow represents true love, an olive branch represents peace and prosperity. Whether you’re getting married or thinking of honoring your relationship, you might want to get a tattoo of a sparrow with an olive branch.
12. A sparrow tattoo on the back
We don’t know what we’re obsessed with more – the placement of the tattoo, the dainty and delicate sparrow, or the flower that complements the rest of the tattoo. When you’re on the hunt for an elegant, effortless tattoo that showcases your style, you might want to consider something similar to this one.
13. A tattoo of a sparrow with a name
What better way to make a sparrow tattoo more meaningful than to attach a name to it? Whether you opt for your own name to celebrate your strength and freedom or the name of someone special to you, we’re pretty sure you’re going to adore this tattoo more than any you’ve ever done before.
14. A tattoo of a white-throated sparrow sitting on a branch
When you’re getting a colorful tattoo, you might want to go for a white-throated sparrow to showcase the beauty of the bird. Bird tattoos can be basic and boring, but when you decide to get a colorful tattoo, you know you’re in for a treat.
15. A sparrow tattoo on the hip
You decided to get a sparrow tattoo but you don’t know what placement would work best for you? You might want to go for a sparrow tattoo on the hip. A hip tattoo offers you plenty of space to work with, as well as a canvas that can be easily concealed and revealed.
16. A sparrow tattoo on the leg
What about a leg tattoo? A leg tattoo might not be as popular and prominent as an arm tattoo or a back tattoo, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not allowed to do whatever you want. A sparrow on the leg can represent your willingness to travel and transform, as well as your freedom to go wherever you want.
17. A tattoo of two sparrows flying toward each other
When we were doing our research, we noticed that two sparrows are better than one – especially when we’re talking about tattoos. A tattoo of two sparrows can represent you and your BFF, you and your sibling, or even you and your partner, depending on the relationship you want to honor.
18. A sparrow tattoo with a sun
We love all the elements of this tattoo and we’re sure you’ll love them, too! When you decide to get a sparrow tattoo, you might want to add some flowers, branches, and sun to complete the meaning (as well as the design) of the tattoo. What’s not to love?
19. A tattoo of two sparrows on the collarbones
We already talked about how two sparrows are better than one, but we’re especially enamored with how these two sparrows are starting at the collarbones and flying toward each other. What a great concept – what do you think?
20. A sparrow tattoo across the abdomen
We’ve arrived at the end of the article with a sparrow tattoo across the abdomen – one of the biggest tattoos we’ve talked about today. An abdomen tattoo can be an excellent way for you to play with diferent styles and symbols, and a sparrow tattoo needs all the space you can spare.
