Discussion
The Hebrew word tsippor generally refers to small birds about the size of the sparrow, while the word ‘ayit, where it refers to a bird and not an animal, refers to any large bird of prey. In the New Testament the Greek word orneon refers to birds of prey, but in the deuterocanonical books this word is used to refer to birds in general. In the books of Maccabees the word for birds of prey is oiōnobrōtos. The remaining Hebrew and Greek words are all used for birds in general, and if the size or type of bird is important, the specific type is indicated by the individual context. The Latin word volatilis is also a general word for birds of all kinds.
Special significance and symbolism
Birds, especially birds of prey, are often, but not always, used in Scripture as symbols of uncleanness or disaster. This seems to be related to the fact that in warfare, the unburied corpses of the dead are fed on by vultures, eagles, and crows.
Translation
In some languages the word for birds of prey may be quite different from the word for birds that are eaten, such as partridges, pheasants, chickens, jungle fowl, ducks, geese, and others, and these in turn may be referred to by a different word from the one used for small birds that are not normally eaten. In languages where this is the case, careful attention should be paid to the individual contexts to make sure that the most suitable word is being used.