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The character 鸱, with traditional form 鴟, refers to various birds of prey, most commonly owls or kites, depending on context. Its traditional form combines the bird radical 鳥 on the right with the phonetic 氐 (dī) on the left, indicating an avian category. The simplified form 鸱 replaces 鳥 with 鸟, keeping 氐. In historical texts, it frequently appears in compounds like 鸱鸮 (chīxiāo, meaning owl) and often carries ominous connotations in classical literature, serving as a metaphor for greedy or rapacious individuals.
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