After my husband died, people started telling me that seeing red birds is a sign from him. I looked it up and it is an old Native American belief that red birds are visits from those who have passed on, symbolizing devotion and loving relationships. We always have had a bird feeder just behind our porch and cardinals were his favorite bird. He would often call to me to come look at the cardinals when he saw them. We had promised each other that whoever passed on first the other would try to leave a sign that they were okay. Now, whenever I see a cardinal, I think of him.